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wm^'^''^^mmr 


THE 


AWAKENED  SINNER  DIRECTED. 


What  must  1  do  to  be  saved  ? 

Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  sbalt  be  saved. 

Acts  ]6:  30,  31. 


BY  CALEB  KIMBALL, 

JLtrTHOR  OF   "  THE  YOUNO   CHRISTIAN  DIRECTED,"   &0 


SEVENTH   EDITION. 


BOSTON: 
BENJAMIN    PERKINS    &    CO. 

NO,   100  WASHINGTON  STREET. 

1851. 


i^ 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1848,  by 

Caleb  Kimball, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of 
Massachusetts. 


PREFACE. 


The  following  pages  are  designed 
to  assist  those  to  enter  the  way  of  life, 
who  are  awakened  to  the  importance 
of  personal  religion.  He,  who,  with 
such  an  object  in  view,  is  to  impart, 
and  they,  who,  while  approaching  a 
crisis  so  momentous,  are  to  receive,  in- 
struction, alike  need  to  be  under  the 
constant  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
It  has  been  my  object  to  present,  in 
simplicity  and  with  directness,  such 
considerations  as  seemed  best  adapted 
to   impress   the    mind,   and   lead   the 


4"  PBEFACE. 

awakened  sinner  to  an  immediate  and 
unconditional  surrender  to  Christ.  To 
derive  the  greatest  benefit  from  the 
perusal  of  this  book,  it  should  be  read 
in  course,  not  hastily,  but  with  deep 
and  solemn  reflection.  Remember  that 
jou  are  now  reading  for  eternity,  and 
that  every  sentence  will  in  some  way 
affect  your  endless  destination.  Read, 
therefore,  with  a  devotional  spirit,  feel- 
ing your  entire  dependence  upon  God, 
and  looking  up  to  him  with  fervent  de- 
sires for  the  continued  presence  of  the 
divine  Teacher.  Often  pause  and  re- 
flect ;  make  the  truth  your  own ;  apply 
it  to  yourself,  for  whom  it  was  especial- 
ly designed  ;  admit  the  truth,  when  dis- 
covered, however  it  may  conflict  with 
your  former  opinions,  or  undermine 
your  present  hopes.     In  passing  from 


PREFACE. 


one  topic  to  another,  ask  yourself,  "  Is 
the  work  done,  and  done  thoroughly  ? 
Will  it  stand  the  trial  of  the  last  day  ? 
Have  I  submitted  to  Christ  ?  Do  I 
now  submit  cheerfully  and  heartily  to 
his  authority  ? "  Rest  not  till  you 
have  satisfactory  evidence  that  you 
have  experienced  that  great  spiritual 
change  required,  in  the  word  of  God, 
as  an  indispensable  prerequisite  for 
admission  to  heaven. 


-^mmmi^'miF^m 


H 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  I. 
The  Sinner  Awakened 9 

CHAPTER  n. 
Important  Hints  to  Awakened  Sinners 22 

CHAPTER  m. 
The  Law  of  God, 44 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Conviction  of  Sin, 51 

CHAPTER  V. 
God  in  Christ  the  Sinner's  Refuge, 60 

CHAPTER  YL 
Decision  in  Religion, 65 

CHAPTER  Vn. 
Dependence  and  Unconditional  Submission, 73 


'^"^•■••■■■B'^^ 


8  CONTENTS.     . 

CHAPTER  VIII.  » 

Bepentance, 88 

CHAPTER  rX. 
Faith  in  God :..  94 

CHAPTER  X. 
Faith  in  Christ ...113 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Prayer, 133 


V 


.,t9m.^ 


THE 


AWAKENED   SINNER   DIRECTED. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   SINNER   AWAKENED. 

Now  when  they  heard  this,  they  were  pricked  ia  their  heart,  and 
snid  unto  Peter  and  to  the  rest  of  the  apostles,  Men  and  brethren, 
what  shall  we  do  ?    Acts  2 :  37. 

The  title  of  this  book,  "  The  Awakened 
Sinner  Directed,"  indicates  the  importance 
and  solemnity  of  the  considerations  which 
it  ought  to  contain,  and  the  great  responsi- 
bility resting  upon  him  who  undertakes  to 
present  them.  The  weight  of  this  respon- 
sibility he  should  constantly  feel,  while 
directing  those  whose  destinies  for  a  vast 
eternity  his  instructions  may  affect.  The 
individuals,  for  whose  benefit  these  pages 
are  especially  designed,  are  supposed  to  be 
favored  with  the  special  operations  of  the 


10  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

Holy  Spirit.  Persons  of  this  description, 
in  the  early  stages  of  their  religious  im- 
pressions, are  ordinarily  alarmed  from  a 
consideration  of  their  condition,  and  of 
their  prospects  for  another  world.  The 
alarm  of  the  awakened  sinner  arises  from 
an  apprehension  of  danger  in  view  of  sin 
committed,  seen,  and,  felt,  or  from  a  discov- 
ery of  the  consequences  resulting  from  a 
violation  of  God's  holy  law. 

With  these  preliminary  remarks,  I  shall 
take  it  for  granted,  that  you,  for  whose 
benefit  especially  I  am  now  writing,  are 
beginning  to  feel  your  guilt  and  danger,  as 
an  impenitent  sinner,  under  the  law  and 
government  of  a  just  and  holy  God,  and 
are  anxious  to  know  what  you  shall  do  to 
be  saved.  You  are  alarmed,  and  at  this  I 
am  not  surprised ;  the  only  cause  for  won- 
der is,  that  you  have  slumbered  so  long ; 
that  alarm,  even  to  fearfulness  and  quak- 
ing, did  not  seize  upon  you  years  since. 
There  certainly  is,  in  your  case,  as  an  un- 
pardoned sinner,  a  sufficient  reason  why 
you  should  be  anxious ;  £ind  this,  I  trust, 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  11 

you  will  be  able  more  clearly  to  see,  before 
we  close  this  chapter. 

Is  it  surprising,  that  the  sailor  boy 
should  be  alarmed,  when  the  heavens 
gather  blackness,  when  darkness  mantles 
the  ocean,  the  thunders  roar,  the  lightnings 
flash,  the  tempest  howls,  and  rocks  and 
whirlpools  are  just  before  him  ?  Stupidity, 
in  such  a  case,  would  not  only  be  unnat- 
ural, but  highly  criminal.  His  alarm  is 
perfectly  rationsil  —  it  is  the  result  of  im- 
pending danger.  And  can  it  be  thought  a 
matter  of  surprise,  that  a  sinner  should  be 
alarmed,  with  his  eyes  open  upon  the  law, 
character,  and  government  of  God ;  with 
a  clear  view  of  his  condition  as  a  guilty 
creature,  condemned  for  disobedience,  and 
passing  onward  to  the  retributions  of  eter- 
nity, liable  every  moment  to  sink  to  the 
nethermost  hell?  His  alarm  is  perfectly 
rational ;  it  is  an  effect  corresponding  with 
its  cause,  and  precisely  such  an  effect  as 
we  might  expect  from  a  correct  knowledge 
of  his  condition  and  destiny  as  an  account- 
able being. 


13  AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED. 

Yon  admit  that  you  are  an  unpardoned 
sinner;  and  a  sinner,  who  has  not  been 
pardoned,  is  represented  in  Scripture  as 
being  under  sentence  of  death,  and  a  death 
more  dreadful  than  human  language  is  ade- 
quate to  describe.  Says  an  inspired  apos- 
tle, "  The  wages  of  sin  is  death,"  Rom.  6 : 
23 ;  and  God  repeatedly  declares,  by  Eze- 
kiel  the  prophet,  "  The  soul  that  sinneth, 
it  shall  die."  Ezek.  18 :  4,  20.  The  na- 
ture of  this  death,  to  which  you  and  every 
impenitent  sinner  are  exposed,  we  must 
learn  from  the  word  of  God.  It  is  to  be 
damned.  "He  that  believeth  not  shall  be 
damned."  Mark  16 :  16.  It  is  indigna- 
tion and  wrath,  tribulation  and  anguish. 
"But  unto  them  that  are  contentious,  and 
do  not  obey  the  truth,  but  obey  unright- 
eousness, indignation  and  wrath,  tribulation 
and  anguish,  upon  every  soul  of  man  that 
doeth  evil ;  of  the  Jew  first,  and  also  of 
the  Gentile."  Rom.  2 :  8,  9.  It  is  to  be 
turned  into  hell.  "  The  wicked  shall  be 
turned  into  hell,  and  all  the  nations  that 
forget  God."    Ps.  9  :  17.     It  is  everlasting 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  13 

punishment.  "These  [the  wicked]  shall 
go  away  into  everlasting  punishment." 
Matt.  25  :  46.  It  is  torment  in  hell.  "  The 
rich  man  also  died,  and  was  buried ;  and 
in  hell  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  being  in  tor- 
ments." Luke  16:  22,  23.  It  is  outer 
darkness,  where  there  is  weeping  and  gnash- 
ing of  teeth.  "And  cast  ye  the  unprofitable 
servant  into  outer  darkness ;  there  shall  be 
weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth."  Matt. 
25:  30.  It  is  fire  that  shall  never  be 
quenched,  where  their  worm  dieth  not. 
"If  thy  hand  offend  thee,  cut  it  off;  it  is 
better  for  thee  to  enter  into  life  maimed, 
than  having  two  hands  td  go  into  hell,  into 
the  fire  that  never  shall  be  quenched; 
where  their  w^orm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is 
not  quenched."  Mark  9 :  43,  44.  It  is 
eternal  damnation.  "He  that  shall  blas- 
pheme against  the  Holy  Ghost,  hath  never 
forgiveness,  but  is  in  danger  of  eternal 
damnation."  Mark  3 :  29.  It  is  to  be 
punished  with  everlasting  destruction  from 
the  presence  of  the  Lord.  "When  the 
Lord  Jesus  shall  be  revealed  from  heaven 
2 


14  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

with  his  mighty  angels,  in  flaming  fire, 
taking  vengeance  on  them  that  know  not 
God,  and  that  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ :  who  shall  be  punished 
with  everlasting  destruction  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  his 
power ;  when  he  shall  come  to  be  glorified 
in  his  saints,  and  to  be  admired  in  all  them 
that  believe."  2  Thess.  1:  7—10.  It  is 
the  wrath  of  God.  "He  that  believeth 
not  the  Son,  shall  not  see  life ;  but  the 
wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him."  John  3: 
36.  "The  same  shall  drink  of  the  wine 
of  the  wrath  of  God,  which  is  poured  out 
without  mixture  into  the  cup  of  his  indig- 
nation ;  and  he  shall  be  tormented  with 
fijre  and  brimstone  in  the  presence  of  the 
holy  angels,  and  in  the  presence  of  the 
Lamb."  Rev.  14:  10.  It  is  a  lake  of  fire. 
"And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead  which 
were  in  it ;  and  death  and  hell  delivered  up 
the  dead  which  were  in  them  j  and  they 
were  judged  every  man  according  to  their 
works.  And  death  and  hell  were  cast  into 
the  lake  of  fire.     This  is  the  second  death. 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  15 

And  whosoever  was  not  found  written  in 
the  book  of  life  was  cast  into  the  lake  of 
fire."     Rev.  20:  13—15. 

From  this  full  and  terrific  description  of 
the  doom  awaiting  impenitent  sinners  in 
another  world,  you  can  see  the  nature  of 
that  death  to  which  you  are  exposed,  and 
rriust  be  convinced,  I  think,  that  your  so- 
licitude respecting  it  is  not  without  foun- 
dation. In  this  description  there  is  no 
exaggeration ;  it  is  a  simple  statement  of 
truths,  known  to  the  infinite  God,  a  being 
of  boundless  knowledge  and  inviolable  ve- 
racity. From  this  disclosure  of  truth  we 
see  why,  in  Scripture,  the  Holy  Spirit, 
when  addressing  the  sinner,  speaks  in  lan- 
guage so  full  of  intensity  as  the  following : 
"Flee  from  the  wrath  to  come  "  —  "Lay 
hold  on  eternal  life"  —  "Strive  to  enter  in 
at  the  strait  gate  "  — "  Turn  ye,  turn  ye 
from  your  evil  ways,  for  why  will  ye  die  ?  " 
Were  the  sufferings,  to  which  you  are 
exposed,  to  continue  only  a  million  years, 
there  would  be  a  sufiicient  reason  why  you 
should  feel  far  greater  solicitude  respecting 


wwmBmtmmm 


16  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

it  than  you  now  discover ;  but  when  you 
reflect,  that,  after  as  many  millions  of  siges 
have  rolled  away,  as  there  are  stars  in  the 
sky,  and  drops  of  water  in  the  ocean,  and 
particles  of  dust  in  the  world,  your  misery, 
should  you  die  unpardoned,  will  only  have 
just  commenced,  and  that  eternity  will  still 
be  stamped  upon  the  awful  scene  before 
you,  you  may  well  ask,  with  the  trembling 
solicitude  of  the  jailer,  or  the  intense 
anxiety  of  the  three  thousand  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be 
saved?" 

Reflect,  moreover,  that  to  this  world  of 
unextinguishable  fire  you  are  as  near  as 
you  are  to  death,  and  death  may  overtake 
you  at  any  moment;  "for  what  is  your 
life  ?  It  is  even  a  vapor,  which  appeareth 
for  a  little  time,  and  then  vanisheth 
away." 

It  is  important  here  to  remark,  that  the 
anxiety  you  feel  for  your  personal  safety  is 
not  salvation.  An  individual  may  be  greatly 
alarmed  in  prospect  of  impending  danger, 
and   yet  not   escape  the   calamity  which 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  17 

threatens  him.  A  person  upon  a  battle- 
field may  be  filled  with  terror  in  view  of 
the  instruments  of  death  which  are  hurled 
thickly  around  him,  and  yet  not  escape 
them.  His  alarm  will  be  of  service  to 
him  only  so  far  as  it  induces  him  to  has- 
ten to  a  place  of  security.  And  so  it  will 
prove  with  you.  Your  anxiety  for  salva- 
tion will  avail  you  nothing,  unless  it  impel 
you  to  flee  to  Christ  for  pardon  and 
safety. 

A  young  man,  who  professed  to  believe 
that  all  will  be  saved,  suddenly  exclaimed, 
"Hell,  hell,  hell !  O !  I  am  going  to  hell !  " 
This  he  continued  to  do,  from  day  to  day, 
until,  sinking  beneath  the  pressure  of  his 
distress,  his  voice  was  hushed  in  death. 
God  opened  his  eyes  upon  the  destruction 
which  awaited  him;  he  saw  it,  and  was 
terrified.  Although  directed  to  Christ  for 
salvation,  and  repeatedly  urged  to  look  to 
him  for  pardon,  he  still  lingered  in  his  sins, 
and  died,  apparently  without  hope  and 
without  forgiveness. 

Prom  this  example  take  warning ;  for 
2* 


-^^"mmmmm 


18  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

you  may  be  greatly  alarmed,  and  yet  sink 
to  perdition.  It  is  not  enough  to  be  awa- 
kened ;  you  must  cry  for  pardon.  It  is  not 
enough  to  be  anxious  for  your  soul ;  you 
must  humble  yourself  before  God,  and 
confess  and  forsake  your  sins,  that  you 
may  have  mercy.  It  is  not  enough  to  be 
alarmed  in  view  of  impending  wrath ;  you 
must  hasten  to  Christ  for  refuge,  and  trust 
for  salvation  in  him  who  is  "the  end  of 
the  law  for  righteousness  to  every  one  that 
believeth." 

Although  alarm  is  not  that  kind  of  con- 
viction which  immediately  precedes  for- 
giveness, it  is,  nevertheless,  a  state  of  mind 
far  more  hopeful  than  total  indifference. 
While  you  remain  stupid,  you  will  neither 
discover  your  danger,  nor  make  an  effort 
to  escape  it ;  but  if  alarmed,  you  may  do 
both.  While  stupid,  you  will  not  realize 
your  guilt;  but  if  alarmed,  you  may  be 
led  to  discover  the  enormity  of  transgres- 
sion. While  stupid,  you  will  not  feel  your 
need  of  pardon ;  but  if  alarmed,  you  raay 
be  induced  to  cry  for  mercy.     While  stu- 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  19 

pid,  you  will  indulge  the  pride  of  your 
heart ;  but  if  alarmed,  you  may  be  con- 
strained to  humble  yourself  before  God, 
and  in  doing  it  receive  forgiveness.  While 
stupid,  you  will  not  go  to  Christ ;  but  if 
alarmed,  you  may  be  led  to  look  on  him 
whom  you  have  pierced,  and  mourn.  While 
stupid,  you  will  not  become  reconciled  to 
God ;  but  if  alarmed,  you  may  be  induced 
sweetly  to  bow  to  his  authority,  and  be 
freely  pardoned  and  justified  by  his  grace. 
A  profane  man  and  a  Sabbath-breaker, 
being  naturally  passionate  and  a  great  op- 
poser  to  religion,  was  exceedingly  mad 
against  a  revival,  with  which  the  town 
where  he  resided  was  mercifully  visited. 
Returning  one  Sabbath  from  a  visit  to  an 
adjoining  town,  his  opposition  to  the  work 
of  God  was  greatly  excited  by  hearing  of 
new  instances  of  conversion.  At  evening 
he  took  up  his  little  child,  and  sung,  — 

"  Life  is  the  time  to  serve  the  Lord, 
,The  time  to  insure  the  great  reward." 

When  he  had  sung  thus  far,  he  thought  a 


rmm 


20  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

voice  said  to  him,  "Thou  awful  wretch, 
thou  hast  spent  all  thy  life  in  sin."  The 
next  moment  he  exclaimed,  "  I  am  sinking 
into  hell."  His  wife  caught  the  child  from 
his  arms,  and  his  pious,  aged  parents,  hear- 
ing his  dreadful  cries,  hastened  to  the  spot, 
and  observing  his  great  distress,  while  he 
continued  to  exclaim,  "  I  am  sinking  into 
hell,"  they  knelt  by  his  side,  and  besought 
the  great  God,  for  Christ's  sake,  to  have 
mercy  upon  their  guilty  son,  who,  while 
he  deserved  only  indignation  and  wrath, 
now  felt  the  need  of  his  pardoning  grace. 
In  about  half  an  hour  he  ceased  his  ago- 
nizing cry,  and  began  to  weep  like  a  sub- 
dued child.  In  the  morning  he  rose,  read 
his  Bible,  erected  his  family  altar,  and, 
with  a  contrite  heart,  offered  upon  it  the 
sacrifice  of  prayer  and  praise.  In  this  ex- 
ample, you  see  distressing  alarm  speedily 
followed  by  contrition  of  spirit  and  quiet 
submission  to  the  will  of  God.  With  this 
fact  before  you,  and  the  case  of  the  jailer, 
who,  in  his  distress,  fell  trembling  at  the 
apostles'  feet,  cease  not  to  plead  for  mercy, 


▲WAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED.  21 

until,  with  a  broken  heaxt,  you  can  rest 
sweetly  upon  the  bosom  of  Jesus,  and  ex- 
claim with  believing  Thomas,  "  My  Lord 
and  my  God." 


22  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

IV'^'M     V.i:  .    >'.•  /       ■    .■■■if    If.- 

CHAPTER    II. 

IMPOKTANT  HINTS  TO  AWAKENED  SINNERS. 

Let  him  that  readeth  onderatand.     Mark  13 :  14. 

As  awakened  sinners  are  in  danger  of  re- 
sisting the  Holy  Spirit  and  losing  his  con- 
victing operations,  I  shall  here  offer  a  few 
words  of  caution.  It  is  important,  then, 
that  you  clearly  understand,  and  deeply  feel, 
that  your  condition  is  peculiarly  critical. 
It  is  by  no  means  certain,  though  you  are 
convicted,  that  you  will  be  pardoned  and 
saved ;  that  point  is  yet  to  be  proved. 
Conviction  is  not  conversion ;  solicitude  for 
one's  self  is  not  unconditional  submission 
to  God.  Many,  very  many,  have  been 
convicted  of  sin,  have  been  in  great  distress 
for  their  souls,  have  sighed  and  wept,  have 
prayed,  read  the  Bible,  attended  meetings 
of  religious  inquiry,  and  asked,  with  solici- 


AWAKENED    SINNEK    DIRECTED.  23 

lude,  what  they  should  do  to  be  saved,  who 
have  not  repented  nor  received  pardon. 
They  resisted  the  Spirit,  they  lost  his  con- 
victing operations,  and  relapsed  into  a  state 
of  stupidity  and  hardness  of  heart,  from 
which,  perhaps,  they  were  never  awakened, 
until  death  broke  their  slumbers,  and  hur- 
ried them  to  the  bar  of  God.  You,  too, 
are  in  danger,  in  great  danger,  of  pursuing 
the  same  course  with  the  same  fatal  result. 
Of  this  I  wish  you  to  be  fully  apprized. 
Be  willing  to  know  the  worst  of  your  case; 
it  can  do  you  no  harm ;  it  may  prove  to 
you  an  unspeakable  blessing.  Your  soul 
is  inconceivably  precious,  and  its  salvation 
a  matter  of  infinite  moment. 

You  must  give  your  earnest,  prayerful 
attention  to  this  subject.  Fitful  anxiety  is 
not  what  you  need.  You  must  think,  and 
think  calmly,  closely,  solemnly  ;  the  sub- 
ject demands  it.  You  must  feel,  too,  and 
deeply  feel,  that  you  are  in  danger,  in  im- 
minent danger,  of  resisting  the  Spirit  and 
losing  your  present  impressions.  The  Holy 
Ghost  is  mild,  gentle,  and  easily  grieved ; 


M  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

beware  that  you  resist  not  his  operations 
and  provoke  his  departure.  Yielding  your 
whole  heart  to  his  impressions,  plead 
earnestly  that  he  will  work  in  you  with 
mighty  power ;  dread  his  departure,  as  you 
would  the  announcement  of  your  final 
doom.  Should  the  Spirit  leave  you,  you 
would  have  no  more  true  conviction,  you 
would  neither  repent,  nor  bow  to  Christ, 
nor  take  a  step  in  the  way  to  heaven. 
Look  carefully  to  your  thoughts  and  pur- 
suits, take  heed  to  your  conversation,  be 
careful  with  whom  you  associate.  You 
must  act,  and  act  decidedly,  but  act  right 
and  in  the  fear  of  God.  You  are  awakened, 
— your  case  is  therefore  hopeful ;  you  have 
encouragement  not  to  remain  as  you  are, 
but  to  go  forward  to  the  mercy-seat  and  to 
the  cross  of  Christ.  If  convinced  of  sin, 
and  in  earnest  for  pardon,  you  will  be  hum- 
ble and  teachable  —  you  will  be  anxious 
to  receive  instruction  upon  experimental 
and  practical  religion.  I  invite  your  atten- 
tion, therefore,  to  the  following  considera- 
tions. 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  25 

1.  All  true  religion  ia  based  upon  a  cor- 
rect knowledge  of  God  and  his  government, 
and  the  way  of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ. 
For  want  of  this,  darkness  has  covered  the 
earth,  and  gross  darkness  the  people.  The 
errors  and  delusions  which  have  distracted 
the  church,  and  the  disorder  which  some- 
times attends  revivals  of  religion,  result 
mainly  from  this  source.  Awakened  sin- 
ners often  grope  in  darkness,  and  are  per- 
plexed at  every  step,  either  for  the  want  of 
proper  instruction,  or  from  inattention  to 
the  sources  of  information  within  their 
reach.  The  light  shines,  but  their  eyes 
are  closed  upon  it ;  the  truth  is  revealed, 
but  they  neglect  to  search  it  out.  A  man, 
in  pursuit  of  an  immense  treasure,  deposit- 
ed for  him  in  a  distant  land,  will  take 
special  pains  to  learn  the  geography  of  the 
country,  to  ascertain  the  best  course  ta  be 
pursued,  the  trials  and  obstacles  to  be  en- 
countered, and  will  furnish  himself  with 
all  the  means  requisite  for  the  attainment 
of  his  object.  His  success  will  depend 
very  much  upon  his  knowledge  and  his 
3 


2G  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

application  of  it  in  the  execution  of  his 
purpose.  As  you  are  awakened  by  the 
Spirit,  and  are,  I  trust,  in  earnest  to  secure 
your  eteruEd  salvation,  — a  treasure  infinitely 
more  precious  to  you  than  earth's  accumu- 
lated wealth,  —  it  is  highly  important  that 
you  should  obtain,  as  far  as  practicable,  a 
correct  knowledge  of  the  eternal,  self-ex- 
istent, independent,  and  unchangeable  Je- 
hovah, of  his  holiness  and  hatred  of  sin,  his 
justice  in  punishing  it,  his  wisdom,  power, 
and  love  as  displayed  in  the  plan  of  redemp- 
tion, and  his  truth  and  faithfulness  in  the 
administration  of  his  government.  Labor 
to  get  a  clear  view  of  the  character  and 
work  of  Christ,  as  God  manifest  in  the  flesh, 
his  atonement,  mediation,  intercession,  abil- 
ity and  willingness  to  save,  and  of  all 
these  combined,  as  the  ground  of  your  ac- 
ceptance with  God.  The  character  and 
work  of  the  Spirit,  too,  who  enlightens, 
subdues,  quickens,  regenerates,  reconciles 
the  soul  to  God,  and  sanctifies  it  for  the 
heavenly  state,  demand  your  serious  and 
prayerful  attention.     Strive  to  get  a  clear 


AWAKENED    SINNEK   DIRECTED.  27 

knowledge  of  yourself — not  only  of  your 
actual  transgressions,  secret  and  open,  and 
your  sins  of  omission,  which  are,  perhaps, 
not  less  criminal,  but  of  your  original  de- 
pravity, the  entire  corruption  of  your  moral 
nature,  a  view  of  which  in  himself  con- 
strained the  Psalmist  to  exclaim,  "Behold, 
I  was  shapen  in  iniquity,  and  in  sin  did 
my  mother  conceive  me,"  and  which  occa- 
sioned the  declaration  in  Ezekiel,  "A  new 
heart  will  I  give  you,  and  a  new  spirit  will 
I  put  within  you."  The  law  of  God,  re- 
pentance, regeneration,  justification  by  faith 
through  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  which 
consists  in  his  perfect  obedience  to  the 
divine  law,  and  his  atoning  sufferings  and 
death,  as  our  substitute,  are  subjects  which 
properly  come  within  your  anxious  inqui- 
ries. Labor,  also,  to  get  a  clear  view  of  the 
evil  of  sin.  What  was  it  which  drove 
Adam  and  Eve  from  their  blissful  garden  ? 
What  was  it  which  deluged  the  world 
with  a  flood  of  waters,  and  swept  its  guilty 
inhabitants  to  destruction  ?  What  brought 
down  upon  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  a  storm 


28  AWAKENED    SINNEK   DIRECTED. 

of  fire  ?  What  has  convulsed  empires  and 
desolated  cities  ?  What  crucified  the  Son 
of  God?  What  has  occasioned  all  the 
misery  which  has  been  experienced  from 
the  fall  of  Adam  to  the  present  hour? 
What  has  occasioned  the  woes  of  the  sec- 
ond death  ?  Sin,  sin  ;  and  to  escape  it,  we 
may  well  put  forth  our  unceasing  and  most 
vigorous  efibrts. 

2.  Bew^e  that  you  mistake  not  the  de- 
sign of  the  Spirit,  nor  slight  his  operations 
by  setting  a  low  estimate  upon  his  work. 
He  comes  to  deliver  you  from  the  bondage 
of  corruption,  to  make  you  a  son  and  an 
heir  of  God,  a  king  and  a  priest  in  his  up- 
per temple,  and  to  put  you  ultimately  in 
full  possession  of  "a  far  more  exceeding 
and  eternal  weight  of  glory"  in  the  pres- 
ence of  God  and  the  holy  emgels,  and  in 
the  presence  of  the  Lamb.  This,  to  you, 
is  an  unspeakable  blessing — learn,  then,  to 
estimate  it  by  its  intrinsic  excellence,  as 
well  as  by  the  blood  of  Jesus,  which  pur- 
chased it,  and  the  character  of  that  divine 
Eigent,  who  labors  to  make  you  a  partaker 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  29 

of  the  unmerited  and  sovereign  grace  of 
God. 

3.  Guard  against  any  constitutional  ten- 
dencies to  pride  and  ambition,  to  anger, 
fretfulness,  and  the  gratification  of  unhal- 
lowed lusts  and  passions.  Avoid  idle  and 
vain  conversation,  light  reading,  parties  of 
pleasure,  and  vain  amusements.  Covet  not 
worldly  honors  and  distinctions.  All  these 
are  hostile  to  the  work  of  the  Spirit. 

4.  Resist  not  the  Spirit  by  concealing 
your  convictions.  Such  conduct  reflects 
great  dishonor  upon  this  divine  agent,  and 
is  exceedingly  offensive  to  God.  It  has 
checked  in  many  a  bosom  those  awakening 
operations  which,  had  they  been  cherished, 
might  have  resulted  in  salvation.  There 
is  nothing  in  religion  or  its  Author,  or  in 
the  work  of  securing  it,  of  which  we  ought 
to  be  ashamed.  We  may  well  be  ashamed 
of  our  sins,  but  never  of  the  fact  that  we 
are  about  to  forsake  them.  If  you  would 
secure  salvation,  you  must  rise  above  the 
fear  of  man,  and  the  opposition  and  sneers 
of  the  ungodly.      Peace   in   believing   is 

3* 


30  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

rarely,  if  ever,  obtained  until  this  obstacle 
is  surmounted.  It  matters  little  what 
wicked  men  or  devils  think  of  us,  if  the 
infinite  God  approve  our  conduct.  "Fear 
not  them  which  kill  the  body,  but  are  not 
able  to  kill  the  soul ;  but  rather  fear  him 
which  is  able  to  destroy  both  soul  and 
body  in  hell."  Matt.  10 :  28.  The  three 
thousand  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  did  not 
resist  the  Spirit  by  concealing  their  con- 
victions. They  were  not  afraid  to  have  it 
known  that  they  were  anxious  to  secure 
salvation.  The  convicted  jailer  did  not 
hesitate  to  disclose  his  anxiety  to  the  apos- 
tles, and  to  ask  what  he  should  do  to  be 
saved.  The  awakened  eunuch  freely  con- 
fessed his  ignorance  to  Philip,  and  cheer- 
fully received  his  instructions  respecting 
the  way  of  salvation.  "He  that  doeth 
truth,  Cometh  to  the  light,  that  his  deeds 
may  be  made  manifest,  that  they  are 
wrought  in  God."  John  3:  21.  You  can- 
not obtain  and  enjoy  true  religion,  without 
imparting  the  knowledge  of  the  fact  to 
others.     The  pearl  of  great  price  is  too 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  31 

valuable  to  be  wrapped  up  in  a  napkin,  and 
laid  away  as  useless.  The  lamp  of  salva- 
tion, when  lighted  in  the  soill,  cannot  be 
concealed  under  a  bushel.  The  religion 
of  Jesus,  to  accumulate,  must  be  difFirsive  ; 
the  more  we  give  away,  the  more  we  have. 
If  you  are  favored  with  the  convicting 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  thank  God  and 
honor  his  Spirit  by  cherishing  his  gracious 
influences.  Disclose  your  feelings  freely 
to  yoiur  pastor,  or  to  some  experienced 
Christian,  who  is  able  to  guide  you  in  the 
way  of  life.  If  the  pride  of  your  heart  rise 
in  opposition,  crush  it  at  once  and  go  for- 
ward. Pride  must  be  subdued,  or  you 
must  lie  down  in  despair  forever.  Perhaps 
your  pastor  has  a  special  meeting  for 
anxious  inquirers ;  if  so,  attend  it.  Pray 
before  you  go,  pray  on  your  way  to  the 
meeting,  and  pray  while  you  are  there, 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  may  unfold  to  you  the 
plan  of  redemption,  and  reveal  Christ  in 
your  soul  the  hope  of  glory.  If  you  have 
perplexities,  disclose  them.  A  few  minutes' 
conversation  with  one  who  is  skilled  in 


32  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

directing  souls  to  Christ,  may  be  of  greater 
service  to  you  than  hours  of  religious  readi- 
ing.  Meetirigs,  too,  for  prayer  and  exhor- 
tation, if  properly  conducted,  you  will  find 
of  special  service.  They  are  calculated  to 
deepen  religious  impressions,  where  they 
exist,  and  to  lead  even  the  thoughtless  to 
serious  reflection. 

5.  As  the  Bible  is  the  best  book,  so  it 
is  the  first  book,  which  awakened  sinners 
should  read,  and  it  should  be  perused  by 
them  more  than  all  others.  It  is  the  word 
of  God,  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  that  pene- 
trates the  heart.  Here  you  will  find  truth 
without  error,  day  without  night,  and  a 
full-orbed  sun  without  a  cloud.  Read  por- 
tions of  Scripture  every  day,  particularly 
in  the  New  Testament,  Psalms,  Isaiah,  and 
the  minor  prophets.  Read  the  Bible  with 
close  attention  and  great  solemnity.  Read 
it,  too,  with  self-application,  and  remember 
it  was  written  for  you  in  particular,  as  well 
as  for  others.  Pray  over  the  Bible,  pray 
often  and  fervently,  that  God,  by  his  Spirit, 
will  enable  you  to  understand  its  truths 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  33 

and  feel  their  power.  I  charge  you  not  to 
neglect  this  duty.  If  you  arei  troubled 
with  skepticism,  this  is  the  way  to  remove 
it.  Reading  the  Bible  carelessly,  without 
prayer,  is  the  direct  way  to  grieve  the 
Spirit  and  become  an  infidel.  If  you  can- 
not comprehend  the  whole  of  divine  truth, 
you  can  understand  enough  of  it  to  learn 
the  way  to  heaven.  As  you  become  wiser 
and  holier,  you  will  understand  it  better. 

6.  Give  close  and  serious  attention  to 
the  gospel,  whether  preached  upon  the  Sab- 
bath or  on  other  occasions.  This  is  a  point 
of  great  importance.  Divine  truth,  when 
clearly  exhibited  and  faithfully  pressed 
home  upon  the  heart  and  conscience,  is 
calculated  to  deepen  religious  impressions. 
Go  not  from  one  religious  meeting  to  an- 
other in  pursuit  of  novelties.  An  itching 
ear  is  a  dangerous  thing,  and,  if  gratified, 
will  retard,  if  not  entirely  obstruct,  the 
work  of  the  Spirit.  Your  object  should 
be  to  find  Christ,  not  novelties ;  and  Christ 
may  be  found  where  the  gospel  is  faithfully 
preached  and  attentively  heard.      If  yoU 


34  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

are  now  blessed  with  a  spiritual  rninister, 
attend  steadily  upon  his  ministrations ;  if 
not,  select  a  godly  man  as  your  pastor,  and 
let  his  house  of  worship  be  your  home  on 
the  Sabbath. 

7.  As  you  are  m  pursuit  of  salvation, 
you  must  fully  decide  to  withdraw  yourself 
from  wicked  associates.  Their  company 
and  conversation  are  destructive  to  religious 
impressions.  You  cannot  follow  Christ 
and  Belial ;  the  two  are  entirely  opposed. 
On  this  point  you  must  act  with  great 
decision.  "If  sinners  entice  thee,  consent 
thou  not."  So  long  as  you  are  unwilling 
to  forsake  the  company  of  the  wicked,  you 
are  unwilling  to  follow  Christ.  *•'  Where- 
fore come  out  from  among  them,  and  be 
ye  separate,  saith  the  Lord,  and  touch  not 
the  unclean  thing ;  and  I  will  receive  you ; 
and  will  be  a  Father  unto  you,  and  ye 
shall  be  my  sons  and  daughters,  saith  the 
Lord  Almighty."     2  Cor.  6:  17,  18. 

8.  Allow  me  still  further  to  Say,  that,  in 
seeking  religion,-  you  should  never  yield  to 
discouragement  and  despondency.      Such 


AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED.  35 

feelings  are  disastrous. to  energetic  and  suc- 
cessful action.  There  is  no  occasion  for 
them.  If  God  the  Father,  Christ,  and  the 
Holy  Spirit,  in  their  respective  offices  in 
the  work  of  redemption,  are  engaged  for 
your  salvation,  you  have  ample  reasons  for 
encouragement.  Are  your  sins  numberless 
and  great  ?  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  is 
available  and  efficacious  to  purge  away 
their  guilt.  "The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ, 
his  Son,  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  1  John 
1:  7.  "Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet, 
they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow ;  though 
they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as 
wool."  Isa.  1:  18.  Is  your  heart  hard? 
The  fire  and  hammer  of  the  Spirit  can 
break  and  dissolve  it.  Is  your  mind  dark? 
The  divine  Comforter  can  illuminate  it. 
Do  mountains  of  difficulty  appear  in  your 
path?  The  Holy  Spirit  can  remove  them. 
He  will  level  mountains  and  fill  up  valleys. 
and  make  for  you  a  way  to  the  cross.  It 
is  surprising  to  see  how  difficulties  vanish 
wjjjen  a  sinner,  in  earnest  for  salvation,  is 
willing  to  cast  himself  upon  the  mercy  of 


36 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIKECTED. 


God,  and  go  forward.  Saul  of  Tarsus  and 
the  tljief  on  the  cross,  though  great  sin- 
ners, did  not  yield  to  despondency.  They 
looked  to  Christ  at  once  and  in  earnest, 
and  obtained  pardon.  God,  the  Father,  is 
willing  to  save  you.  For  your  encourage- 
ment he  says,  "  Look  unto  me  and  be  ye 
saved."  Isa.  45:  22.  "O  Israel,  thou 
hast  destroyed  thyself,  but  in  me  is  thy 
help."  Hos.  13:  9.  Christ,  the  Mediator, 
is  your  advocate  in  the  court  of  heaven. 
"  He  bare  the  sin  of  many,  and  made  in- 
tercession for  the  transgressors."  Isa.  53: 
12.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  striving  to.  make 
you  willing  and  obedient,  that  you  may 
find  rest  to  your  soul.  Talk  not,  then,  of 
discouragement,  nor  foi:  a  moment  yield  to 
despondency,  while  the  Three  that  bear 
record  in  heaven  are  engaged  for  your  sal- 
vation. Ruined  as  you  are  by  sin,  you 
must  look  away  from  your  guilty  self  to 
the  unchanging  God.  His  power  and  love 
are  infinite,  and  his  mercy  and  grace 
abounding.  Up,  then„  and  by  repentance 
and  faith  work  out  your  salvation,  while 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  37 

God  is  working  in  you  both  to  will  and  to 
do  of  his  good  pleasure. 

9.  Awakened  sinners  sometimes  labor 
under  an  apprehension  that  they  have 
passed  the  day  of  grace,  or  committed  the 
unpardonable  sin,  and  are  thus  hindered  in 
their  way  to  Christ.  But  such  fears  are 
evidently  groundless,  for  the  Holy  Spirit 
would  not  strive  with  one  for  whom  there 
was  no  possibility  of  pardon.  Those  who 
have  passed  the  day  of  grace,  or  committed 
the  unpardonable  sin,  are  generally  charac- 
terized by  blockish  stupidity,  great  hard- 
ness of  heart,  or  bitter  opposition  to  evan- 
gelical truth,  and  contempt  for  the  means 
of  grace.  Satan  will  strive  to  make  you 
believe  that  your  sins  are  too  great  to  be 
forgiven ;  that  the  day  of  mercy  is  over ; 
that  the  way  of  life  is  too  difficult  to  find, 
and  too  strait  and  unpleasant  to  pursue  ;  or 
that,  to  you,  heaven  is  lost  forever.  In 
these  and  kindred  ways,  he  will  labor  either 
to  quiet  your  fears,  or  to  plunge  you  into 
hopeless  despair.  All  such  suggestions  you 
must  steadfastly  resist,  as  coming  from  the 
4 


wf  i'tmij  J I  HI.'  .Ill 


38  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

father  of  lies,  who  goes  about  like  a  roar- 
ing lion,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour. 
Let  the  purpose  of  your  heart  be, 

"  I'll  go  to  Jesus,  though  my  sin 
Hath  like  a  mountain  rose ; 
I  know  his  courts ;  I'll  enter  in, 
Whatever  may  oppose. 

"I  can  but  perish,  if  I  go  ; 
I  am  resolved  to  try. 
For  if  I  stay  away,  I  know 
I  must  forever  die." 

In  a  religious  meeting,  favored  with 
tokens  of  the  divine  presence,  I  remarked, 
for  the  encouragement  of  such  as  wished 
to  obtain  salvation,  that  all  present  might 
undoubtedly  receive  forgiveness,  if  they 
would  seek  it  in  earnest ;  for  I  could  not 
think  that  any  one,  who  had  committed 
the  unpardonable  sin,  would  be  inclined  to 
meet  with  the  people  of  God,  to  unite  with 
them  in  his  worship. 

A  lady  present,  who  for  years  had  been 
in  a  despairing  state,  from  an  impression 
that  her  day  of  grace  was  over,  dwelt  up- 
on that  thought  with  great  interest.     It 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  39 

appeared  to  her  so  reasonable,  that,  over- 
coming her  feelings  of  despair,  and  having 
resolved  to  seek  salvation,  she  tarried  with 
the  inquirers  to  ask  what  she  should  do  to 
be  saved.  In  a  short  time,  guided  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  she  was  enabled  cheerfully  to 
surrender  her  heart  to  Christ  j  she  found 
peace  and  pardon,  and  saw  in  Jesus  that 
fulness  and  all-sufficiency  which  made 
him,  to  her,  the  chief  among  ten  thousand, 
and  the  one  altogether  lovely.  As  she  fol- 
lowed on  to  know  the  Lord,  her  faith  and 
hope  were  established,  and  she  went  on 
her  way  rejoicing. 

If,  then,  you  are  awakened  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  feel  inclined  to  read  the  Bible, 
and  meet  with  the  people  of  God  for  reli- 
gious instruction,  and  are  anxious  to  find 
the  way  of  life,  you  may  rest  assured  that 
you  have  not  committed  the  unpardonable 
sin,  but  should  go  immediately  to  Jesus, 
that  you  may  be  pardoned  and  justified, 
and  "  have  your  fruit  unto  holiness,  and  the 
end  everlasting  life." 

10.    Some    awakened    sinners    mistake 


r^^^mmvw 


40  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

both  the  nature  and  design  of  conviction, 
and  are  thus  retarded  in  their  way  to 
Christ.  They  suppose  that  they  must  pass 
through  a  long  season  of  mental  anxiety ; 
must  continue,  for  weeks  together,  in  great 
distress  and  anguish  of  spirit,  to  make  a 
kind  of  atonement  for  sin,  and  thus  prepare 
the  way  for  God  to  accept  them.  But  such 
impressions  are  incorrect,  and  should  im- 
mediately be  relinquished.  The  design  of 
conviction  is  not  to  atone  for  sin,  but  to 
bring  the  sinner  to  Christ.  No  amount  of 
suffering  which  he  can  endure  in  the  pres- 
ent life  can  meet  the  demands  of  divine 
justice.  Could  you  live  for  a  million 
years  in  a  fire  as  intense  as  that  which 
consumed  John  Rogers  at  the  stake,  it 
would  not  atone  for  a  single  sin.  The 
atonement  which  God  requires  is  infinite, 
and  Christ  has  made  it ;  your  duty  is  to 
trust  in  it  immediately,  and  then  for  Jesus's 
sake  you  will  be  pardoned  and  accepted. 
The  period  of  conviction  may  be  very 
short,  and  yet  answer  the  divine  purpose. 
In  convincing  you  of  sin,  God  seeks  not 


AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED.  41 

your  distress  but  your  repentance ;  not  your 
suffering  for  transgression,  but  your  contri- 
tion for  it ;  not  a  righteousness  which  you 
can  make,  but  the  acceptance  of  that 
which  Christ  has  wrought  for  you. 

A  young  man  once  observed  to  me,  that 
he  was  convicted  and  converted  under  one 
sermon.  He  saw  his  sins,  was  sorry  for 
them,  resolved  to  forsake  them,  repented, 
accepted  Christ  as  his  Saviour,  and  found 
peace.  He  has  for  years  given  as  good 
evidence  of  genuine  piety  as  those  con- 
verted during  the  same  revival,  who  con- 
tinued for  days  and  weeks  in  the  deepest 
distress. 

The  conviction  and  anxiety  of  the  jailer 
lasted  but  a  few  minutes.  When  Christ 
was  presented  to  him,  he  accepted  him  at 
once  as  his  surety,  and  rejoiced,  believing 
in  God  with  all  his  house.  The  distress  of 
awakened  sinners  on  the  day  of  Pentecost 
was  of  short  duration.  •  Christ  was  present- 
ed to  them  as  the  object  of  their  trust,  and, 
looking  to  him  by  faith,  they  at  once  re- 
ceived him  as  the  Lord  their  righteousness. 
4  • 


4^ 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 


11.  It  is  not  desirable  that  those  who 
are  seeking  religion  should  suspend  their 
ordinary  employment,  provided  that  em- 
ployment be  such  as  God  approves.  To 
think  intensely  and  without  cessation  upon 
a  subject  so  absorbing  as  the  soul's  salva- 
tion, is  exhausting  both  to  the  mind  and 
body,  and  in  some  constitutions  produces  a 
nervous  excitement  exceedingly  deleterious 
in  its  consequences.  You  will  find  your 
regular,  lawful  employment,  if  properly 
pursued,  a  help  rather  than  a  hinderance  to 
you,  in  seeking  ScJvation.  It  will  afford 
relief  to  the  mind,  and  that  kind  of  relief 
essential  to  its  most  vigorous  and  success- 
ful action.  If  religion  can  be  enjoyed  in 
the  highest  degree,  as  it  evidently  may,  in 
connection  with  the  faithful  discharge  of 
our  secular  duties,  why  may  it  not  also  be 
obtained  while  engaged  in  the  discharge 
of  those  duties  ?  An  idle  or  indolent  per- 
son is  far  less  likely  to  obtain  the  pearl  of 
great  price,  even  if  he  seeks  it,  than  one 
who  has  been  trained  to  habits  of  industry 
and   activity.      Indolence   is  offensive   to 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIHECTEU.  43 

God,  and  grieves  the  Spirit.  You  can  re-  ^ 
pent  and  believe  in  Christ  in  the  shop, 
field,  or  counting-room,  any  where  and 
every  where  in  the  lawful  pursuits  of  life. 
You  are  to  live  in  the  daily  exercise  of 
sincere  repentance  for  sin  and  a  vigorous 
faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 


mn^nmifr'^T'W' 


44  AWAKENED    SINNEB    DIRECTED. 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE  LAW  OF  GOD. 

Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all 
thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  ia  the  fint  and  great  com- 
mandment.   Matt.  22 :  37,  '38. 

It  is  very  important  that  the  awakened 
sinner  should  have  a  correct  knowledge  of 
the  divine  law  and  his  relations  to  it,  for 
"by  the  law  is  the  knowledge  of  sin." 
The  depth,  pungency,  and  genuineness  of 
conviction  will  ordinarily  be  in  proportion 
to  the  clearness  of  his  views  of  this  fun- 
damental principle  in  the  divine  govern- 
ment. The  law  of  God,  then,  is  briefly 
expressed  by  our  Saviour  in  those  two 
great  precepts,  "  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all 
thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind,"  and 
"Thou  shaJt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself." 
Matt.  22:  37,  39.     It  requires  the  intelli- 


MR^PWpw""^  '^"'mmmrw'^^'^mmm 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  45 

gent  universe  to  love  Jehovah  unceasingly, 
and  to  the  extent  of  their  powers,  for  all 
those  glorious  perfections  imbodied  in  his 
character ;  and  to  love  all  other  beings  in 
proportion  as  they  bear  the  moral  impress 
of  their  Creator. 

This  law  is  spiritual.  It  reaches  the 
inner  man,  and  is  violated  by  an  unholy 
thought,  feeling,  or  motive,  no  less  than  by 
external  actions.  Impressed  with  the  spir- 
ituality of  this  divine  precept,  an  apostle 
declares,  "  The  law  is  spiritual ;  but  I  am 
carnal,  sold  under  sin."     Rom.  7:  14. 

This  law  is  extensive.  It  lays  its  claim 
upon  all,  of  every  age,  and  sex,  and  rank, 
and  nation,  who  have  ever  lived  or  ever 
will  live,  till  the  world  shall  be  consumed. 
The  law  of  God  extends  to  other  worlds. 
Saints  and  angels  in  heaven  bow  to  its  au- 
thority, and  will  delight  to  obey  it  perfectly 
through  the  whole  range  of  their  endless 
existence.  Fallen  spirits,  too,  in  the  world 
of  despair,  are  under  this  law.  Disobedi- 
ence has  neither  destroyed  moral  obligation 
nor  annihilated  their  power  to  do  right. 


m^p 


46  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

The  law  of  God  is  holy.  Like  its  infi- 
nite Author,  it  shines  out  in  the  beauty  of 
holiness,  and  reflects  the  perfect  image  of 
uncreated  excellence.  In  view  of  the  un- 
sullied purity  of  the  divine  precepts,  an 
apostle  exclaims,  "Wherefore  the  law  is 
holy ;  and  the  commandment  holy,  and  just, 
and  good."  Rom.  7:  12.  The  Psalmist 
also  expresses  the  same  sentiment.  "  The 
law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect ;  the  statutes  of 
the  Lord  are  right ;  the  commandment  of 
the  Lord  is  pure."     Ps.  19:  7,  8. 

The  law  of  God  is  reasonable.  It  is 
reasonable  that  moral '  beings  should  be 
holy  and  happy ;  that  they  should  love 
their  Creator  supremely,  obey  him  perfectly, 
and  be  in  a  condition  to  receive  and  im- 
part the  highest  possible  good.  All  this 
the  law  of  God  requires,  and  if  perfectly 
obeyed,  will  invariably  accomplish.  It  is 
designed  to  make  the  universe  unspeakably 
and  eternally  happy.  Perfect  obedience  to 
it,  fills  heaven  with  uninterrupted  loyalty 
and  bliss.  A  law,  so  holy  in  its  nature,  and 
securing  to  the  universe  the  highest  con- 


wm^mmi^mmmf^mmmm^' 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  47 

ceivable  good,  is  not  only  reasonable,  but 
is,  in  fact,  the  perfection  of  reason. 

The  law  of  God  is  just.  It  renders  to 
all  their  due.  It  secures  to  God  his  honor, 
and  to  all  his  creatures  their  rights,  "Just 
and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou  King  of  saints." 
Rev.  15:  3. 

The  law  of  God  is  perpetual  in  its  obli- 
gations. Its  demands  and  prohibitions  are 
ever  the  same. ,  What  it  requires  of  a 
moral  being  now,  it  will  require  of  him  to 
all  eternity.  "  Think  not,"  says  our  Sa- 
viour, "  that  I  am  come  to  destroy  the  law 
or  the  prophets ;  I  am  not  come  to  destroy, 
but  to  fulfil."  Matt.  5:  17.  And  an  apos- 
tle reasons,  "Do  we,  then,  make  void  the 
law  through  faith  ?  God  forbid  ;  yea,  we 
establish  the  law."  Rom.  3:  31.  "For- 
ever, O  Lord,  thy  word  is  settled  in  heaven." 
Ps.  119:  89. 

The  law  of  God  is  penal.  The  penalty 
annexed  to  the  divine  law  is  endless  death, 
which  the  impenitent  will  experience  in  the 
future  world,  including  the  loss  of  heavenly 
blessedness  and  the  pains  of  hell  forever. 


4S  AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED. 

"  The  wages  of  sin  is  death."  Rom.  6 :  23. 
"  The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die."  Ezek. 
18:  4. 

This  law  you  are  under,  and  from  its 
obligations  you  can  never  be  released.  It 
requires  you  to  love  God  with  all  your 
heart ;  but  this  you  have  not  done,  for  "  all 
have  sinned,  and  come  short  of  the  glory 
of  God."  Rom.  3:  23,  As  you  have 
sinned  by  violating  the  divine  law,  you 
are,  if  impenitent,  liable  to  experience  its 
tremendous  penalty,  for  "cursed  is  every 
one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things  which 
are  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do 
them."     Gal.  3:10. 

It  is  important  to  have  a  clear  idea  of 
what  is  meant  by  violation  of  law.  The 
apostle  John  has  defined  sin  to  be  "trans- 
gression of  the  law."  He  does  not  say 
that  twenty  sins,  merely,  are  a  transgression 
of  the  law,  but  sin,  one  sin,  is  a  violation 
of  the  divine  law.  The  man  who  with- 
holds supreme  affection  from  God  one  min- 
ute, as  really  violates  the  law  of  God  as  he 
who  withholds  it  twenty  minutes.     One 


pHVpiPpppm^  iiiiBi  iji  i.Ri 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  49 

\ct  of  disobedience  is  as  really  and  properly 
sin,  as  twenty  acts  of  disobedience.  One 
sin,  indeed,  is  not  so  criminal  as  twenty 
sins,  but  it  is  on  that  account  no  less  sin. 
The  person  who  withholds  supreme  affec- 
tion from  God  one  minute,  as  effectually 
excludes  himself  from  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  on  the  ground  of  legal  justification, 
as  he  who  withholds  affection  from  God 
ten  years,  or  ten  million  years ;  for  sin,  one 
sin,  is  a  transgression  of  the  law,  and  God 
declares,  "  The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall 
die."  You  perceive,  therefore,  that  one 
act  of  disobedience  is  a  violation  of  Gpd's 
law,  and  deserves  its  penalty,  and  that  each 
specific  act  of  disobedience  in  each  moment 
of  an  impenitent  life  deserves  the  same 
tremendous  penalty.  Look,  then,  at  past 
sins.  If  you  are  now  unconverted,  they 
are  as  numerous  as  the  moments  of  your 
accountable  existence,  and  each  of  them 
deserves  everlasting  destruction  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of 
his  power.  In  view,  then,  of  your  condi- 
tion £is  an  unpardoned  sinner,  you  may 
5 


60  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

well  be  alarmed,  and  ask,  with  the  Einxions 
jailer,  "What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?" 
And  now,  trembling  as  a  transgressor  be- 
neath the  quakings  of  Sinai,  where  this  law 
wais  delivered,  I  point  you  to  Christ  cruci- 
fied as  your  hiding-place  from  the  endless 
and  fearful  penalty  of  God's  violated  law. 
"  His  blood  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  He 
is  "the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to 
every  one  that  believeth,"  and  the  only 
refuge  for  the  sinner  against  the  inflexible 
demands  of  divine  justice  — 

"  Hock  of  ages,  cleft  for  me, 
Let  me  hide  myself  in  thee." 


(t. 


XWU  mr 


AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED.  51 


CHAPTER    lY. 

CONVICTION  OF  SIN. 

Now  when  they  heard  this,  they  were  pricked  in  their  heart,  and 
said  onto  Peter  and  to  the  rest  of  the  apostles,  Men  and  brethren, 

what  shall  we  do?    Acts  2:  37. 

Conviction  of  sin  always  precedes  re- 
generation, £ind  arises  from  a  view  of  our 
relations  to  the  law  of  God.  The  three 
thousand,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  were 
pricked  in  their  heart,  or  convicted  of  sin, 
before  they  asked  what  they  should  do 
to  be  saved,  or  found  peace  in  believing. 
The  prodigal  son  was  convinced  that  he 
had  done  wrong  in  spending  his  time  and 
property  in  riotous  living,  before  he  re- 
turned to  his  father's  house  and  made  con- 
fession. This  will  be  found  substantially 
true  of  every  returning  penitent.  He  must 
be  made  sensible  that  he  is  wandering  from 
the  right  way  before  he  will  change  his 


fuiiw.it\.9mfmiirr'!^^w^mm 


52  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

course.  Conviction  of  sin  is  the  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  on  this  divine  agent 
we  must  rely  to  disclose  to  us  our  guilt,  and 
lead  us  to  Christ  for  pardon. 

The  convicted  sinner  should  labor  to  get 
a  clear  and  impressive  view  of  the  character 
and  law  of  God;  of  his  relations  to  that 
law ;  and  of  the  nature  and  criminality  of 
sin,  as  well  as  of  its  endless  and  fearful 
consequences  in  the  coming  world.  There 
is  a  class  of  awakened  sinners  who  are 
anxious,  not  because  they  have  sinned  and 
offended  God,  but  on  account  of  threatened 
punishment.  Could  they  certainly  know 
that  there  were  no  deathless  worm  and 
unquenchable  fire  as  the  portion  of  the 
ungodly,  their  anxiety  would  cease,  and 
they  would  continue  to  sin  with  the  same 
unconcern  as  before.  An  awakened  sinner, 
being  asked  whether  he  should  have  much 
solicitude  about  himself  if  there  were  no 
hell,  Fcplied,  in  eflfect,  that  he  should  not  ; 
and  such  replies  are  not  unfrequent  in  the 
early  stages  of  religious  thoughtfulness.  I 
knew  an  individual  who,  in  passing  to  hei 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  53 

home,  is  said  to  have  stopped  suddenly  and 
cried  aloud,  because,  as  she  observed,  she 
saw  hell  open  before  her  and  herself  sink- 
ing into  it.  But  when  these  vivid  impres- 
sions had  passed  away,  her  anxiety  ceased, 
and  she  could  disobey  God  and  trample 
upon  the  blood  of  Jesus  with  the  same 
indifference  as  before.  Now,  it  is  evident 
that  the  cause  of  her  distress  was  not  sin, 
but  liability  to  suffering.  When  I  met  her, 
several  years  after,  she  was  apparently  in- 
different, though  in  the  gall  of  bitterness 
and  bonds  of  iniquity. 

Anxiety,  or  conviction,  arising  merely 
from  this  som-ce,  will  not  result  in  saving 
conversion.  It  is  right,  indeed,  that  the 
sinner  should  know,  and  deeply  feel,  that 
there  is  a  hell  as  endless  and  as  dreadful  as 
the  Word  of  God  declares  it  to  be,  for  this 
is  one  way  in  which  we  discover  the  crim- 
inality of  sin.  It  is  proper  that  motives 
drawn  from  this  source  should  be  urged 
upon  him  to  impel  him  to  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come.  "Knowing  therefore  the 
terror  of  the  Lord,  we  persuade  men."  2 
6» 


54  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

Cor.  5:  11.  "Turn  ye,  turn  ye,  for  why 
will  ye  die,  O  house  of  Israel  ? "  Ezek. 
33:  11.  It  is  probable  that  the  attention 
of  most  convicted  sinners  is  first  awakened 
by  an  apprehension  of  danger,  and  it  is 
quite  natural  that  such  should  be  alarmed, 
and  even  tremble,  in  view  of  their  exposure 
to  divine  indignation.  But  before  the 
heart  is  changed,  these  feelings  give  place 
to  a  sense  of  sin,  because  it  is  wrong  in  its 
nature  and  tendency,  opposed  to  God  and 
his  government,  and  deserving  his  endless 
frowns.  The  burden  and  confession  of  the 
•Prodigal  were,  "Father,  I  have  sinned," 
and  the  Publican,-  under  a  deep  conscious- 
ness of  guilt,  would  not  lift  up  so  much  as 
his  eyes  to  heaven,  but  smote  upon  his 
breast,  saying,  "  God  be  merciful  to  me  a 
sinner."  These  were  cases  of  genuine 
conviction,  and  in  both  of  them,  sin  com- 
mitted, seen,  and  felt,  was  the  principal 
burden  which  pressed  upon  the  soul. 

I  once  asked  a  convicted  sinner  whether 
it  was  sin,  or  the  fear  of  hell,  which  dis- 
tressed him.    "  0,"  replied  he,  in  substance, 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  55 

"  I  have  scarcely  thought  of  hell.  My  sins 
distress  me ;  I  have  offended  God  and 
abused  his  goodness  and  mercy  all  my 
days."  His  views  were  no  doubt  correct, 
and  such  views  are  calculated  to  humble 
the  transgressor  in  the  dust,  lead  him  to 
confess  his  sins,  and  cry  for  mercy. 

It  is  not  punishment  which  gives  to  sin 
its  criminality.  Sin  is  wrong  in  itself,  and 
would  be  so  were  there  no  future  punish- 
ment, and  it  should  be  hated  and  forsaken 
on  this  account.  It  is  wrong  to  steal  and 
commit  murder,  and  would  be  so  were 
there  no  state  prison  and  gallows  awaiting 
the  transgressor.  Sin  reflects  great  dishonor 
upon  God,  and  is  a  violation  of  infinite 
obligations ;  it  dishonors  Christ,  the  Medi- 
ator, hinders  the  work  of  the  Spirit,  and, 
if  not  restrained  in  its  operations,  it  would 
annihilate  the  moral  government  of  Jeho- 
vah, and  fill  creation  with  universal  misrule. 
It  is,  therefore,  an  infinite  evil,  and  God 
and  holy  beings  abhor  it  on  this  account, 
and  so  should  you. 

Do  you  now  ask  how  you  may  knovy 


56  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

whether  or  not  your  convictions  are  genu- 
ine ?  To  this  I  reply,  if  your  sins  appear 
to  you  odious  and  dreadful,  and  if  you  de- 
sire above  all  things  to  be  delivered  from 
their  polluting  and  reigning  power ;  if  it 
pains  you  to  the  heart  that  you  have  vio- 
lated the  law  of  God  in  thought,  word,  and 
deed,  and  in  numberless  instances  abused 
his  mercy  and  love  ;  if  you  are  filled  with 
anxiety  because  you  have  crucified  the 
Son  of  God  and  often  resisted  the  Spirit  of 
grace ;  if  your  past  life  seems  to  you  an 
unbroken  series  of  transgression,  and  your 
sins  so  heinous  in  the  sight  of  God  as  to 
deserve  the  endless  death  threatened  in  his 
Word ;  if  you  feel  that  the  law  and  gov- 
ernment of  God  are  right,  and  that  he 
would  be  just  should  he  exclude  you,  on 
account  of  your  disobedience,  from  his 
heavenly  presence,  and  shut  you  up  in  the 
prison  of  despair  forever,  your  convictions 
ate  genuine,  and,  if  wisely  improved,  will 
result  in  saving  conversion  to  God. 

Awakened   sinners  are   sometimes  hin- 
dered, in  their  way  to  Christ,  from  an  ap- 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIBECTED.  57 

prehension  that  their  convictions  are  not 
sufficiently  pungent.  They  have  not  that 
deep  distress  and  overwhelming  anxiety, 
which  others  appear  to  have,  and  therefore 
conclude  that  their  views  of  sin  are  ma- 
terially defective.  They  are  waiting  for 
some  wonderful  discovery  or  overwhelm- 
ing sense  of  their  guilt  and  danger,  which 
shall  crush  them  to  the  dust  before  they 
repent  and  believe  in  Jesus.  Now,  all  such 
waiting  is  sinful.  Knowingly  to  pursue  a 
wrong  or  wicked  course  till  justice,  with  a 
drawn  sword,  appears  in  your  path  to  exe- 
cute vengeance,  is  rebellion  against  God. 
You  would  think  a  man  insane,  who, 
knowing  his  house  to  be  on  fire,  should 
wait  till  he  should  himself  be  enveloped  in 
flames,  before  he  made,  an  effort  to  escape. 
And  is  the  sinner  less  unreasonable,  who, 
knowing  that  he  is  in  the  way  to  hell, 
shall  wait  till  its  fires  flash  in  his  face,  be- 
fore he  attempts  to  find  a  refuge  in  Jesus  ? 
It  is  not  for  the  sinner  to  dictate  when,  or 
how,  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  work,  or  what 
amount  of  conviction  he  shall  awaken  in 


58  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED, 

the  mind.  Some  are  more  stupid  and 
stubborn  than  others,-  and  require  more  di- 
vine influence  to  rouse  them  to  action  and 
constrain  them  to  bow.  If  convinced  by 
the  Holy  Spirit  that  you  have  sinned 
against  God,  and  are  in  the  broad  way  to 
death,  you  should  stop  immediately,  change 
your  course,  yield  to  his  heavenly  guid- 
ance, and  enter  at  once  the  way  of  life. 
If  you  discover  but  one  sin,  repent  of  that, 
and  let  every  new  discovery  of  native  de- 
pravity, or  actual  transgression,  be  attended 
with  deep,  godly  sorrow.  The  depth  and 
genuineness  of  conviction  cannot  always 
be  ascertained  by  the  external  distress 
which  may  accompany  it.  As  we  are  dif- 
ferently constituted  and  educated,  some 
will  express  far  more  than  others  under  the 
same  amount  of  conviction.  If  convinced 
by  the  Spirit  that  you  are  an  unpardoned 
sinner,  passing  onward  to  a  fearful  and 
wasteless  eternity,  your  duty  is  plain.  You 
should  go  immediately  to  God,  and,  from 
the  depths  of  penitential  sorrow,  say  with 
the    Prodigal,    "  Father,    I   have   sinned." 


AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED.  69 

You  should  go  directly  to  Christ,  and,  feel- 
ing your  guilt  and  unworthiness,  make  a 
full  and  final  surrender  of  yourself  to  him, 
and  by  an  act  of  faith  receive  him  as  the 
Lord  your  righteousness,  and  cling  to  him 
as  your  almighty  Deliverer. 


60  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 


CHAPTER   V. 

GOD   IN  CHRIST   THE   SINNER'S  REFUGE. 

God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present  help  in  trouble. 
Ps.  46:  1 

Sinners  who  are  awakened  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  alarmed  in  view  of  their  guilt 
and  danger,  feel  their  need  of  a  refuge. 
Their  first  inquiry  is,  "  What  shall  I  do  to 
be  saved  ? "  To  all  such,  whether  slightly 
impressed  or  nearly  overwhelmed  with  a 
sense  of  sin,  the  following  remarks  may  not 
be  inappropriate. 

God  in  Christ  is  the  sinner's  refuge.  He 
is  the  great  Creator  and  sovereign  Proprie- 
tor of  all  things.  He  said  to  Abraham,  "I 
am  the  Almighty  God."  Gen.  17:  1.  "His 
arm  is  not  shortened,  that  it  cannot  save." 
All  worlds  and  all  events  are  at  his  disposal. 
Wicked  men  and  devils  are  in  his  hands 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  61 

He  wounds  and  heals,  he  kills  and  makes 
alive,  at  his  pleasure.  His  power  is  infi- 
nite. You  see,  therefore,  that  in  respect  to 
strength,  your  refuge  is  adequate  to  your 
wants. 

Another  important  circumstance  connect- 
ed with  the  sinner's  refuge  is,  that  it  is 
near  at  hand.  A  man  pursued  by  an  ene- 
my, will  t£isk  his  powers  to  the  uttermost 
to  save  his  life  if  he  discovers  just  before 
him  an  impregnable  and  accessible  fortress. 
God  in  Christ,  the  sinner's  refuge,  is  not 
only  omnipotent  to  save,  but  accessible  and 
near,  "a  very  present  help  in  trouble."  He 
is  "not  far  from  every  one  of  us,  for  in  him 
we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being." 
Acts  17 :  27,  28.  You  are  encircled  with 
his  presence ;  and  when,  with  a  contrite 
spirit,  you  cast  your  burdened  soul  upon 
his  infinite  arm,  you  will  hear  him  say, 
"Fear  thou  not,  for  I  am  with  thee;  be 
not  dismayed,  for  I  am  thy  God."  Isaiah 
41:  10.  This  great  Deliverer  is  near  to 
bless  and  to  save,  when,  with  a  filial  spirit, 
you  read  the  Bible,  enter  your  closet  to 
6 


.i^ii^ta^Hmm^t^ 


62  AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED. 

pray,  bow  around  the  family  altar,  or  go  out, 
as  did  Isaac,  at  erentide,  to  meditate.  He 
is  near  to  pardon  and  comfort  when  you 
meet  for  prayer  in  the  social  circle,  or  enter 
his  holy  sanctuary  to  receive  instruction. 

God  is  not  only  near  the  trembling  sin- 
ner, but  he  is  willing  to  save.  "  As  I  live, 
saith  the  Lord  God,  I  have  no  pleasure  in 
the  death  of  the  wicked ;  but  that  the 
wicked  turn  from  his  way  and  live."  Ezek. 
33 :  11.  To  all  who  are  distressed  in  view 
of  sin,  Jehovah  proclaims,  "  Look  unto  me, 
and  be  ye  saved ;  for  I  am  God,  and  there 
is  none  else."  Isaiah  45:  22.  He  said  to 
his  ancient  people,  "O  Israel,  thou  hast 
destroyed  thyself,  but  in  me  is  thy  help." 
Hosea  13:  9. 

God,  moreover,  is  merciful,  and  compas- 
sionate, and  tenderly  kind.  He  proclaims 
himself  to  be  "The  Lord,  the  Lord  God, 
merciful  and  gracious."  Ex.  34:  6.  He 
is  also  ready  to  forgive.  He  freely  pardons 
sinners  of  all  nations.  He  takes  so  much 
pleasure  in  bestowing  pardon  that  he  even 
invites  and  entreats  the  sinner  to  £isk  for  it. 


AWAKENED    SINNER   DIKECTED.  63 

He  pardons  all  classes  j  the  young  and  the 
old ;  the  slave  and  his  master ;  the  poor  and 
illiterate  no  less  than  the  wealthy  and  the 
learned.  God  pardons  many  and  great 
sins,  and  sins  of  peculiar  aggravation.  He 
pardoned  the  sins  of  Manasseh,  Saul  of 
Tarsus,  and  Peter,  and  he  will  pardon  your 
sins,  if,  like  them,  you  cherish  a  contrite 
spirit.  "Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet, 
they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow ;  though 
they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as 
wool."  Isa.  1:18.  God,  in  the  atonement 
of  Christ,  makes  provision  for  the  pardon 
of  future  sins.  He  justifies  as  well  as  par- 
dons, and  treats  his  pardoned  ones,  for  Je- 
sus's  sake,  as  righteous  in  his  sight.  God 
pardons  upon  the  most  reasonable  condi- 
tions ;  and  these  conditions  are,  repentance 
for  sin  and  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
God  not  only  pardons  upon  the  most  rea- 
sonable conditions,  but  even  assists  the 
sinner  by  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  fulfil  these  conditions.  God  is  bound- 
less in  resources,  and  is  both  able  and  will- 
ing to  supply  your  wants. 


64  AWAKENED    SIKNER    DIRECTED. 

This  infinite  being,  holy  and  just,  and 
hating  sin  as  he  does,  you,  though  a  great 
transgressor,  and  unworthy  of  the  least  of 
all  his  mercies,  can  meet  in  Christ  as 
your  gracious  Father  and  unfailing  Friend. 
Through  Christ,  the  Mediator,  you  can 
draw  near  to  him  at  all  times,  spread  out 
your  wants,  confess  your  sins,  and  receive 
from  him  pardon,  hope,  eternal  life,  and 
blessedness  before  his  throne.  Such  is  the 
'  sinner's  hiding-place  from  the  endless  and 
^' '  fearful  penalty  of  God's  violated  law. 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  65 


CHAPTER    VI. 

DECISION  IN  RELIGION. 
Choose  you  this  day  whom  ye   will  serve.    Josh.  i24 :  15. 

Decision  is  no  less  essential  to  success  in 
seeking  salvation  than  in  prosecuting  any 
worldly  enterprise.  The  mind  never  acts 
efficiently  in  the  pursuit  of  wealth,  honor, 
pleasure,  any  real  or  imaginary  good,  until 
it  acts  decidedly.  If,  then,  as  a  convicted 
sinner,  you  desire  immediately  to  enter  the 
way  of  life,  you  must,  relying  upon  divine 
assistance,  come  now  to  a  full,  deliberate, 
and  unalterable  determination  to  devote 
yourself  entirely  and  forever  to  the  service 
of  God.  Under  an  impressive  sense  of 
your  weakness  and  dependence,  you  must 
make  this  decision  in  the  strength  of  God, 
and  in  full  view  of  the  sins  to  be  relin- 
quished, the  trials  to  be  endured,  and  the 
6* 


^iPW 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 


duties  of  practical  piety  to  be  performed  to 
the  end  of  life.  It  is  not  enough  partially 
to  decide  on  this  subject ;  a  particd  decision 
is  no  decision.  Nor  is  it  sufficient  to  re- 
solve that  at  some  future  period  religion 
shall  be  your  chief  concern ;  many  have 
done  this,  and  lost  their  souls.  To  defer 
submission  to  Christ  to  a  future  time,  is  to 
conclude,  for  the  present,  to  rebel  against 
God.  On  a  subject  so  momentous  as  the 
endless  well-being  of  your  precious  soul, 
you  must,  with  the  utmost  sincerity,  say 
with  the  Psalmist,  "O  God,  my  heart  is 
fixed,"  and,  like  him,  carry  out  immediately 
this  unchangeable  purpose  in  a  life  of  daily 
repentance,  faith,  and  prayer.  Until  such  a 
determination  is  formed,  you  will  make  no 
progress  towards  God  and  heaven.  The 
Prodigal  did  not  return  to  his  father's 
house  till  he  decided  to  do  it.  Having 
formed  a  deliberate  and  solemn  purpose  to 
go  home,  he  executed  it  immediately ;  he 
rose  and  went  to  his  father.  Nor  did  he 
act  without  good  and  sufficient  reasons  in 
this  matter.     In  view  of  his  own  guilt  and 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  67 

wretchedness,  and  the  known  kindness  of 
his  father,  his  abihty  and  willingness  to 
help  him,  he  resolved  to  go  home  and  cast 
himself  upon  the  mercy  of  his  grieved  and 
dishonored  parent.  This  is  a  happy  illus- 
tration of  correct  decision  connected  with 
immediate  and  successful  action  in  seeking 
salvation.  It  is  an  illustration  given  by 
Christ  himself,  and  may  therefore  be  safely 
followed.  You  perceive,  then,  that  the 
Prodigal's  decision  was,  in  an  important 
sense,  the  turning-point  in  his  salvation. 
Had  he  not  decided  to  return  home,  he 
must  have  perished  with  starvation.  He 
did  not  confer  with  flesh  and  blood  in  this 
matter  ;  he  neither  lingered  nor  hesitated  ; 
he  raised  no  objections,  and  yielded  to  no 
fears  in  regard  to  his  reception.  Like  a 
man  in  earnest  to  save  his  life,  he  chose  at 
once  the  best  way,  and,  with  becoming 
zeal,  pursued  it.  From  considerations  un- 
speakably more  weighty,  you  are  urged  to 
decide  now  to  enter,  with  all  your  heart, 
upon  a  life  of  piety.  Like  the  Prodigal,  you 
have  wandered  from  your  Father's  house  : 


68  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

you  have  forsaken  the  Lord  your  Maker, 
and  lightly  esteemed  the  Rock  of  your  sal- 
vation. You  have  enjoyed  divine  goodness, 
and  abused  it;  you  have  lived  through 
divine  forbearance,  and  have  slighted  it. 
The  warnings  and  threatenings,  the  invita- 
tions and  kind  entreaties,  of  your  Father  in 
heaven  you  have  disregarded.  Pardon  — 
full,  free,  and  purchased  by  the  blood  of 
Jesus  —  you  have  treated  with  contempt. 
Your  sins  are  numberless,  great,  and  aggra- 
vated beyond  expression,  because  commit- 
ted against  such  clear  displays  of  the 
boundless  goodness  and  grace  of  God. 
You  are  a  condemned  transgressor,  passing 
on  to  judgment  and  fiery  indignation  which 
must  devour  the  ungodly.  Endless  misery 
is  before  you,  and  you  are  liable  to  sink 
into  it  at  any  moment  while  unpardoned. 
"He  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned." 
Mark  16 :  16.  A  storm  of  divine  wrath  is 
hanging  over  you,  and  will  beat  upon  you 
with  untold  and  accumulated  violence, 
unless  you  find  a  refuge  in  Jesus.  Why, 
then,  do  you  linger?      If  Noah  hastened 


l!P^^iW"«■^''^''^P^P^■P"•^"*•||"•   HI 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  69 

into  the  ark  to  escape  the  flood,  and  Lot 
fled  from  the  flames  of  Sodom,  you  may 
well  be  in  earnest  to  escape  the  flood  of 
divine  wrath,  and  the  lake  of  unquencha- 
ble fire.  "  He  that  believeth  shall  be 
saved."  ''The  Spirit  and  the  bride  say, 
Come,  and  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the 
water  of  life  freely." 

Nor  let  it  be  thought  presumptuous  for  a 
sinner  to  decide  on  a  point  pertaining  to 
his  salvation.  It  is,  indeed,  the  very  thing 
which  God  requires.  He  rebuked  his  an- 
cient people  for  their  indecision.  "How 
long  halt  ye  between  two  opinions?  If 
the  Lord  be  God,  follow  him."  He  urged 
them  to  an  immediate  choice  of  himself  as 
their  chief  good.  "Choose  you  this  day 
whom  ye  will  serve."  It  is  not  presump- 
tion for  a  sinner  to  obey  God  and  secure 
his  own  salvation.  Others  have  decided 
to  forsake  their  sins,  and  live  a  life  of  faith 
and  prayer,  and  you  may  follow  their  ex- 
ample. 

In  a  meeting  of  special  religious  interest, 
I  once  asked  if  any  one  present  would,  like 


70  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

the  prodigal,  arise  and  go  to  his  father. 
To  my  surprise,  a  middle-aged  man,  who 
had  been  a  great  sinner,  arose,  and  said,  in  a 
low,  trembling  voice,  '*  I  will  arise  and  go 
to  my  Father,"  and  sat  down.  It  was,  with 
him,  a  moment  of  great  interest ;  his  pur- 
pose was  fixed ;  he  resolved,  with  divine 
help,  to  abandon  his  wicked  ways  and  be- 
come a  follower  of  Jesus.  Burdened  with 
a  sense  of  his  guilt,  he  went  home,  and 
sought  a  retired  place  in  which  to  pour  out 
his  complaint  before  God.  His  convictions 
were  pungent,  but  of  short  duration.  I 
heard  him  sigh  in  his  distress,  as  he  fell 
upon  his  knees  by  my  side,  and  cried  for 
mercy.  In  a  short  time,  heavenly  light 
beamed  upon  his  soul,  and  he  sat  penitently 
at  the  feet  of  Jesus.  He  became  a  devoted 
Christian.  His  determination  to  be  on  the 
side  of  Christ,  you  perceive,  led  to  imme- 
diate and  happy  results. 

A  young  man  once  entered  my  room 
without  the  least  apparent  concern  for  his 
salvation,  though  rationally  convinced  that 
he  must  be  born  again  or  be  lost.     I  urged 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  71 

him  to  seek  religion  immediately ;  but  he 
hesitated ;  he  weis  not  quite  ready.  Again 
and  again  I  entreated  him,  by  all  the  con- 
siderations which  I  could  draw  from  the 
Word  of  God,  to  devote  himself,  without 
delay,  to  the  service  of  Christ ;  but  still  he 
refused.  Before  he  left,  I  made  one  more 
appeal,  and  said,  in  effect,  "  Will  you  seek 
salvation  now,  with  all  your  heart  ? "  He 
replied,  "I  think  I  will."  He  was  a  young 
man  of  decision  of  character ;  his  purpose 
was  formed,  and  he  knelt  by  my  side 
while  I  commended  him  to  God  in  prayer. 
The  Holy  Spirit  blessed  the  effort ;  he  was 
immediately  awakened,  and  the  next  day 
he  was  deeply  concerned  to  know  what  he 
should  do  to  be  saved.  In  a  few  hours,  he 
hopefully  surrendered  his  heart  to  God,  and 
found  peace  in  believing.  He  appeared 
openly  upon  the  side  of  Christ,  and  has 
continued  to  adorn  the  doctrines  of  God 
his  Saviour  by  a  holy  life.  Now,  had  not 
that  young  man  concluded  to  make  re- 
ligion his  first  concern,  he  would  have 
remained  an  enemy  of  God,  and  still  trav- 


72  AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED. 

elled  on  in  the  way  to  despair.  Reflection, 
argument,  and  entreaty,  accompanied  with 
divine  influence,  brought  him  to  a  decision 
which  speedily  resulted  in  his  hopeful  con- 
version to  God. 

Since,  then,  awakened  reader,  God  has 
granted  you  the  convicting  influences  of 
his  Spirit,  I  charge  you  by  all  that  is  pre- 
cious in  heavenly  blessedness,  and  dreadful 
in  the  wrath  to  come,  now  to  make  a  full 
and  final  committal  of  yourself  to  Jesus, 
and  live,  henceforth,  not  unto  yourself,  but 
unto  Him  who  died  for  you,  and  rose 
again. 


AWAKENED    SINNER   DIKECTED.  73 


CHAPTER  VII. 

DEPENDENCE   AND   UNCONDITIONAL    SUBMIS- 
SION. 

And  be,  trembling  and  astonished,  said.  Lord,  what  wilt  tbou  have 
me  to  do  ?    Acts  9  :  6, 

When  we  speak  of  the  sinner's  helpless- 
ness, it  is  not  to  be  understood  that  he  is 
wanting  in  any  natural  power  to  do  his 
duty,  but  that,  having  violated  the  law  of 
God,  and  thereby  involved  himself  in  guilt 
and  ruin,  he  is  entirely  dependent  upon  a 
divine  and  almighty  agency  to  extricate 
him  from  his  perilous  condition,  and  so  to 
renovate  his  soul  that  it  shall  completely 
harmonize  with  the  will  of  God,  and  be 
prepared  for  a  holy  and  blissful  heaven. 

With  this  preliminary  remark,  I  observe, 

that  as  awakened  sinners  are  inclined  to 

trust  ia  their  own  righteousness,  and  to 

feel  that  their  prayers,  anxieties,  and  efforts 

7 


74  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

will  recommend  them  to  the  divine  favor, 
a  great  point  is  gained,  when  they  are 
thoroughly  convinced,  that  as  transgressors 
of  God's  law,  they  are  utterly  undone,  that 
their  own  righteousness  is  filthy  rags,  that 
by  nature  and  by  practice  they  are  entirely 
depraved,  that  in  themselves  there  is  no 
good  thing,  that  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity 
against  God,  and  that  every  imagination  of 
the  thought  of  the  heart  is  only  evil  con- 
tinually. This  scriptural  view  of  them- 
selves, as  condemned  sinners  under  sen- 
tence of  death,  will  lead  them  to  realize  their 
entire  dependence,  and  to  feel  that  if  saved 
at  all,  they  must  be  saved  by  the  sovereign 
grace  of  God,  bestowed  freely  through 
Jesus,  the  Mediator.  The  sinner  must  re- 
nounce his  own  righteousness  as  utterly 
worthless,  before  he  will  accept  the  right- 
eousness of  Christ ;  he  must  cease  to  depend 
upon  himself  before  he  will  rely  upon  God 
for  salvation ;  he  must  feel  his  entire  help- 
lessness £is  a  guilty  transgressor  in  the 
hands  of  God,  and  exposed  to  his  wrath 
forever,  before  he  will  heisten  for  shelter  to 


^^MMriHMtiiiaMMiaiiHil 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  75 

the  atoning  blood  of  Jesus.  The  apostle 
Paul,  speaking  of  himself,  says,  "I  was 
alive  without  the  law  once  ;  but  when  the 
commandment  came,  sin  revived,  and  I 
died."  Rom.  7:  9.  When  he  .saw  the 
spiritual  nature,  extent,  and  purity  of  God's 
law,  sin  revived,  or  he  discovered  his  guilt 
as  a  transgressor  of  that  law,  and  died  at 
once  and  forever  to  the  hope  of  being  jus- 
tified and  saved  by  legal  obedience.  He 
was  slain  by  the  law  before  he  began  to 
live  in  Christ ;  he  was  made  to  feel  his 
entire  helplessness  as  a  condemned  trans- 
gressor under  sentence  of  eternal  death, 
before  he  exclaimed  in  brokenness  of  heart, 
"Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?" 
God  humbles  the  sinner  before  he  exalts 
him ;  he  strips  him  of  his  own  righteous- 
ness before  he  clothes  him  with  the  right- 
eousness of  Christ ;  he  enables  him  to  feel 
his  entire  weakness  before  he  girds  him 
with  the  strength  of  salvation  ;  he  discov- 
ers to  him  his  guilt  and  deformity  before 
he  discloses  to  him  the  beauty  of  holiness ; 
he  allows  him  to  taste  the  wormwood  and 


76  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

the  gall  before  he  gives  him  the  cup  of 
salvation ;  he  makes  him  to  feel  his  utter 
helplessness,  as  a  sinner  condemned  to  die, 
guilty,  hopeless,  and  sinking  under  the  pres- 
sure of  his  wrath,  before  he  extends  to  him 
the  arm  of  deliverance.  All  this  he  does 
to  break  his  hold  on  sin  and  self,  and  every 
earthly  dependence,  and  bring  him  into  a 
state  to  receive  pardon  as  a  gratuitous  favor, 
and  ascribe  the  glory  of  his  salvation  to  his 
infinite  and  sovereign  grace. 

An  original  but  appropriate  -illustration 
of  the  sinner's  dependence  and  helpless- 
ness, and  God's  treatment  of  him  in  this 
condition,  was  once  given  by  an  unlettered 
Indian,  who,  having  taken  a  worm,  laid 
him  upon  the  ground,  and,  drawing  a  circle 
round  him,  kindled  a  fire  upon  its  cir- 
cumference. The  worm  crawled  in  all 
directions,  and  finding  himself  encircled 
by  the  consuming  element,  returned  to 
the  centre  of  the  circle,  to  die.  At  this 
moment  the  Indian  extended  his  arm,  and, 
plucking  him  from  his  perilous  condition, 
conveyed  him  to  a  place  of  safety.     So  it 


i^ytfttMHMBMil 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  77 

is  with  the  sinner.  When,  by  the  ilhimi- 
nation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  discovers  that 
within  he  is  entirely  depraved ;  that  above 
him  is  an  avenging  God,  and  beneath  hira 
a  burning  hell ;  when,  in  his  distress,  he 
has  wearied  himself  out  with  fruitless  at- 
tempts to  save  himself,  and  is  just  ready  to 
sink  in  hopeless  despair,  he  casts  himself, 
as  an  undone  sinner,  at  the  feet  of  a  cruci- 
fied Saviour,  the  central  point  of  God's 
infinite  goodness  and  matchless  grace,  and, 
relying  simply  and  solely  upon  the  mercy 
of  his  offended  Creator,  exclaims,  "Lord, 
save  me,  or  I  perish."  Then  God  extends 
to  him  the  arm  of  deliverance,  plucks 
him  as  a  brand  from  the  burning,  purges 
away  his  guilt,  and,  having  planted  his  feet 
upon  the  Rock  of  Ages,  enables  him  to  see 
that  his  salvation  is  purely  of  grace,  and  to 
ascribe  the  glory  of  it  entirely  and  forever 
to  God  and  the  Lamb. 

Reader,  to  this  point  you  must  be  brought, 

or  you  must  perish.    Salvation  begins  here ; 

your  extremity  is  God's  opportunity ;  upon 

him  you  are  entirely  dependent ;  he  alone 

7* 


78  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

can  deliver;  pardon  and  spiritual  life  are 
his  gifts.  When,  despairing  of  help  from 
all  other  sources,  you  look  to  him  in  earnest, 
and  cry  for  mercy  in  your  helplessness,  you 
will  realize  in  him  a  Saviour  to  the  utter- 
most. God  finds  you  when  you  lose  your- 
self; the  moment  you  die  to  sin,  you  live 
in  Christ. 

"  The  mount  of  danger  is  the  place 
Where  we  shall  see  surprising  grace." 

Convicted  sinners  are  inclined,  also,  to 
make  conditions,  upon  which  they  will 
bow  to  the  divine  will,  instead  of  submit- 
ting, as  they  should,  unconditionally,  to 
the  authority  of  God.  I  once  asked  an 
anxious  inquirer  if  she  was  willing  to  fall 
unconditionally  into  the  hands  of  God. 
"O,  no!"  she  replied,  in  ejffect,  "for  if  I 
should,  I  fear  he  would  send  me  to  hell ; " 
all  the  while  forgetting  that  she  was  en- 
tirely in  the  power  of  her  infinite  Sovereign, 
who  was  able  in  a  moment  to  crush  her 
forever.  Now,  you  perceive,  she  was  mak- 
ing conditions.  If  she  could  know  certainly 


AWAKENED    SINNEB    DIRECTED.  79 

that  God  would  save  her,  she  would  sub- 
mit ;  if  not,  she  would  continue  to  rebel. 
Persons  under  conviction  are  ready  to  do 
every  thing  but  the  right  thing,  to  pursue 
any  course  except  that  which  the  Saviour 
approves.  One  would  submit  to  God  if  he 
was  thoroughly  convicted  of  sin  ;  another 
would  do  it  if  he  was  worthy  to  be  saved  ; 
and  a  third  would  give  up  his  heart  if  he 
was  certain  God  would  accept  it.  One 
class  of  persons  would  follow  Christ  if  they 
could  have  religion  and  conceal  it ;  another 
would  be  very  obedient  if  they  certainly 
knew  they  were  among  the  elect,  or  could 
have  salvation  and  still  indulge  forbidden 
lusts.  In  these  and  kindred  ways,  anxious 
inquirers  insult  their  Maker,  resist  his  Spirit, 
and  hedge  up  their  way  to  heaven.  This 
course  must  be  abandoned  or  the  trans- 
gressor must  die.  It  ill  becomes  a  sinner, 
under  sentence  of  death,  to  dictate  to  his 
judge  upon  what  conditions  he  will  accept 
pardon  ;  or  a  rebel,  overtaken  by  justice,  to 
prescribe  to  his  sovereign  upon  what  terms 
he  will  submit  and  be  loyal.     If,  reader, 


80  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

you  are  anxious  for  salvation,  but  still  im- 
penitent, God  is  your  righteous  Judge,  and 
you  the  culprit ;  he  is  your  independent 
Sovereign,  and  you  the  rebel ;  he  is  in  the 
right ;  his  character,  law,  and  government, 
are  just;  you  are  in  the  wrong — in  heart 
and  conduct  —  entirely  wrong.  God  is  un- 
changeable. On  your  part,  therefore,  un- 
conditional submission  or  death  is  the  only 
alternative.  "Yield  yourselves  unto  God," 
is  the  divine  command.  The  surrender 
which  you  are  required  to  make,  must  be 
of  body  and  soul ;  friends,  property,  learn- 
ing, influence,  all  must  be  sincerely  and 
heartily  surrendered  to  God.  A  partial 
surrender  is  no  surrender ;  God  will  have 
the  whole  or  nothing ;  he  deserves  it,  and 
should  he  require  less,  it  would  prove  your 
ruin.  His  choice  must  be  your  choice  ;  his 
will  your  will ;  his  pleasure  your  delight ; 
and  his  service  your  constant  and  endless 
employment. 

Your  surrender  to  God  must  be  imme- 
diate. He  requires  and  deserves  your  ser- 
vice now,  and  you  sin  if  you  withhold  it. 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  81 

Evrery  moment's  delay  is  attended  with 
unspeakable  hazard.  While  you  linger, 
you  may  die  and  sink  to  perdition. 

Your  surrender  to  God  must  be  volun- 
tary and  cheerful.  A  reluctant  service  God 
will  not  accept.  "God  loveth  a  cheerful 
giver."  You  must  fall  into  his  hands,  not 
only  cheerfuly,  but  joyfully,  and  be  willing 
that  he  should  dispose  of  you  and  yours 
according  to  his  sovereign  pleasure. 

Your  surrender  must  be  attended  with 
holy  love.  As  God  possesses  every  possible 
excellence,  you  are  required  to  love  him 
with  all  your  powers.  It  must  be  attended, 
also,  with  deep  humiliation  and  sincere 
contrition  for  past  sins,  and  a  full,  unshaken 
purpose  to  deny  all  ungodliness  and  every 
worldly  lust. 

You  must  submit  to  God  in  faith,  with 
confidence  in  his  being  and  perfections,  the 
rectitude  of  his  government,  and  his  ability 
and  willingness  to  save. 

These  are  the  conditions  of  your  surren- 
der and  acceptance  with  God.  They  are 
liberal  and  reasonable ;  all  that  you  ought 


82  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

to  ask,  or  your  injured  Sovereign  to  offer. 
They  are  honorable  conditions ;  honorable 
to  God  and  honorable  to  yourself;  and, 
when  you  bow  and  accept  them,  Christ 
becomes  to  you-  wisdom,  righteousness, 
sanctification,  and  redemption ;  you  are 
saved,  and  Jehovah  is  glorified. 

Your  present  position,  then,  is  one  of 
great  solemnity.  Life  and  death  are  before 
you ;  the  Judge  standeth  at  the  door.  The 
point  to  be  reached  is  immediate  and  un- 
conditional submission  to  God.  Bow  to 
his  will,  and  your  salvation  is  sure. 

"  Sinner,  why,  why  will  you  die  ? 
God,  your  Saviour,  asks  you  why." 


AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED.  83 

,:u    v^,,,    .^r  i.      ,.     I 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

REPENTANCE. 

Repent  ye,  therefore,  and  be  converted,  that  your  sins  may  be 
blotted  out.    Acta  3 :  19. 

Evangelical  repentance,  as  expressed  in 
the  Greek  Scriptures,  is  a  radical  change 
of  mind  in  view  of  sin,  as  it  relates  to  God 
and  his  law,  a  turning  of  the  soul  from 
the  love  and  practice  of  sin  to  the  love  of 
holiness  and  obedience  to  God.  This 
thorough  change  in  the  sinner's  views, 
purposes,  and  dispositions  is  preceded  by 
genuine  conviction  of  sin,  and  is  accompa- 
nied with  that  deep,  godly  sorrow  or  regret 
on  account  of  it,  which  results  in  life  ever- 
lasting. "Godly  sorrow  worketh  repent- 
ance to  salvation,  not  to  be  repented  of." 
2  Cor.  7 :  10. 

A  man  on  a  journey  of  great  responsi- 
bility, and  requiring  speed,  at  length  dis- 


8iF  AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED. 

covers  that  he  has  taken  a  wrong  direction, 
which,  if  pursued,  will  prove  extremely 
disastrous.  This  discovery  or  conviction 
of  his  real  condition  is  immediately  fol- 
lowed by  sorrow  or  regret.  In  view  of  it 
he  repents,  or  changes  his  mind,  and,  hav- 
ing turned  directly  about,  enters  the  right 
way.  Thus  it  is  with  the  repenting  sinner. 
On  his  journey  to  another  world,  he  is  con- 
vinced by  the  Holy  Spirit  that  he  is  a  great 
sinner  in  heart  and  life,  entirely  wrong, 
pursuing  the  way  to  destruction ;  a  de- 
struction, too,  deep  as  hell,  broad  as  im- 
mensity, and  endless  as  the  eternity  of 
God.  His  conviction  of  sin,  if  thorough 
and  genuine,  is  followed  by  godly  sorrow, 
not  merely  for  the  evils  which  sin  has  oc- 
casioned, but  for  sin  itself,  because  it  is 
vile  and  malignant,  subversive  of  right 
government,  dishonorable  to  God,  and  ruin- 
ous to  the  best  interests  of  the  universe. 
Convicted  of  sin,  and  grieving  on  account 
of  it,  he  repents,  or  is  entirely  changed  in 
his  views,  feelings,  and  conduct,  and  at 
once  enters  upon  a  life  of  faith  and  prayer. 


IJ|lli4Wii  « 


AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED.  85 

Before  his  repentance  he  took  pleasure  in 
sin — now  he  hates  it;  before  he  repented 
he  was  averse  to  the  duties  of  religion  — 
now  he  loves  them ;  before  his  repentance 
he  cherished  idols  in  his  heart,  and  wor- 
shipped them — now  he  abhors  and  aban- 
dons them,  and  worships  God  in  the  beauty 
of  holiness.  He  is  "a  new  creature  in 
Christ  Jesus  ;  old  things  are  passed  away  ; 
behold,  all  things  are  become  new."  Once 
he  was  in  the  way  to  death — now  he  is  in 
ihe  way  to  life ;  once  he  hated  God  and 
Tioliness — now  he  admires  the  divine  char- 
acter, and  delights  in  the  law  of  God  after 
^he  inner  man.  "To  repent,"  says  Mr. 
James,  "is  more,  much  more,  than  mere 
sorrow  for  sin ;  this  is  evident  from  what 
the  apostle  has  remarked:  'Godly  sorrow 
worketh  repentance  to  salvation,  not  to  be 
repented  of.'  2  Cor.  7:  10.  True  sorrow 
for  sin  is  a  pari  of  repentance,  and  only  a 
part,  for  the  Scripture  just  quoted  evidently 
makes  a  distinction  between  them.  Many, 
very  many,  grieve  for  their  sins,  who  never 
repent  of  them.  Men  may  grieve  for  the 
8 


•''^mmr^^-> 


86  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

consequences  of  their  sins  without  mourn- 
ing for  the  sins  themselves.  The  meaning 
of  the  word  repent,  is,  a  change  of  mind. 
Repentance,  therefore,  signifies  an  ejitire 
change  of  a  Tnan^s  views,  disposition,  and 
conduct,  with  respect  to  sin."  It  is  equiva- 
lent in  meaning  to  regeneration.  The  new 
birth  means  a  change  of  heart,  and  repent- 
ance is  that  same  change,  viewed  in  ref- 
erence to  sin. 

Genuine  repentance  is  not  only  preceded 
by  conviction  of  sin,  and  accompanied  with 
penitential  sorrow,  but  is  attended,  also, 
with  self-condemnation  and  self-abasement. 
The  repenting  sinner  is  stripped  of  his  vain 
excuses ;  he  no  longer  attempts  to  conceal 
or  palliate  his  guilt,  or  charge  the  blame  of 
his  sins  upon  Adam,  God,  or  his  minister. 
He  reproaches  and  condemns  himself,  and 
feels  that  he  alone  is  the  guilty  party. 
The  language  of  his  heart  is,  "Father,  I 
have  sinned."  "Woe  is  me,  for  I  am  un- 
done." "Unclean, unclean."  "O!  wretch- 
ed mEUi  that  I  am,  who  shall  deliver  me 
from  the  body  of  this  death  ? "     He  feels, 


AWAKENED    SINNER   DIKECTED.  87 

moreover,  that  his  sins  have  been  commit- 
ted against  God,  and  grieves  mainly  on  this 
account.     Such  were  the  feelings  of  peni- 
tent David,  as  expressed  in  the  fifty-first 
psalm.     "Against  thee,  thee  only,  have  I 
sinned,  and  done  this  evil  in  thy  sight." 
He  had  murdered  one,  disgraced  another, 
and  dishonored  himself  in  the  eyes  of  the 
nation ;  and  yet  all  this  was  small,  compared 
with  his  guilt  in  the  sight  of  God.     It  cut 
him  to  the  heart  that  he  had  offended  and 
insulted  the*  infinite  majesty  of  heaven  and 
earth,  that   God  of  loving   kindness  and 
tender  mercy  who  had  not  only  redeemed 
him  by  his  grace,  and  shielded  him  in  the 
day  of  battle,  but  had  honored  him  in  the 
eyes  of  the  nations  by  taking  him  from 
the  sheep-cote  and  making  him  king  over 
his  people  Israel.     David  was  a  child  of 
God,  a  true  penitent ;  it  was  not,  therefore, 
punishment  which  he  feared,  or  for  which 
he  grieved.     It  Avas  sin ;  sin  in  himself,  sin 
against  God,  clearly  seen  and  deeply  felt, 
which  crushed  his  spirit,  and  constrained 
him  to  exclaim,  "Have  mercy  upon  me, 


«§  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

O  God,  for  I  acknowledge  my  transgres- 
sions, and  my  sin  is  ever  before  me."  Had 
there  been  no  hell,  God  and  sin  would 
have  remained  the  same,  and  his  sorrow 
would  not  have  been  less  deep,  nor  his 
grief  less  poignant.  The  burden  upon  the 
Prodigal's  heart  was,  "Father,  I  have 
sinned  against  heaven  and  in  thy  sight." 
Peter's  tears  flowed  in  a  gushing  stream, 
not  because  he  was  sinking  to  hell,  for  he 
was  then  on  his  way  to  heaven,  but  be- 
cause he  had  sinned,  and  dishonored  and 
grieved  his  beloved  Lord  and  Master,  by 
publicly  and  shamefully  denying  him  un- 
der circumstances  of  peculiar  aggravation. 

True  repentance  is  also  attended  with  a 
thorough  reformation  in  heart  and  life. 
Secret  and  open  sins  wnll  be  abandoned, 
wicked  ways  forsaken,  unrighteous  princi- 
ples relinquished,  and  God  and  Christ  will 
be  all  in  all.  David's  repentance  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  course  of  consistent  and  elevat- 
ed piety.  In  his  earnest  longings  for  en- 
tire purity,  he  prays,  '^  Wash  me  thoroughly 
from  my  iniquity,  and  cleanse  me  from  my 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  89 

sin.  Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God, 
and  renew  a  right  spirit  within  me."  Paul's 
sorrow  for  sin  was  attended  with  a  mighty 
moral  change  in  feeling  and  conduct. 
From  a  bitter  persecutor  he  became  a  most 
devoted  follower  of  Jesus,  and  successfully 
defended  the  faith  which  he  once  attempt- 
ed to  destroy.  Peter's  repentance  ended 
not  in  sighs  and  sobs.  He  preached  and 
prayed  like  one  in  earnest  to  save  souls, 
and  died  a  martyr  to  the  cause.  A  man 
who  has  been  burned  in  the  fire,  will  not 
knowingly  rush  into  the  flames.  A  travel- 
ler who  has  once  been  stung  by  a  scorpion, 
will  not  knowingly  cherish  that  venomous 
creature  in  his  bosom.  Much  less  will  the 
sinner,  who  has  been  eflfectually  taught  by 
the  Spirit  the  evil  nature  and  tremendous 
consequences  of  sin,  knowingly  and  habit- 
ually transgress  the  divine  command. 

The  true  penitent  will  not  only  forsake, 
but  hate  his  sins.  Objects  and  pursuits 
which  he  once  loved,  he  now  detests. 
Feelings  and  conduct  which  once  appeared 
comparatively  innocent,  he  now  regards  as 
8» 


90  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

Utterly  vile,  entirely  opposed  to  God  and 
holiness,  and  he  abhors  them  on  this  ac- 
count. Such  was  the  experience  of  David. 
"I  hate  vain  thoughts."  Ps.  119:  113. 
"  Cleanse  thou  me  from  secret  faults."  Ps. 
19:  12.  The  feelings  of  Job  correspond 
with  those  of  David  in  this  particular. 
When  he  had  a  clear  view  of  God's  infinite 
holiness,  he  not  only  abhorred  his  sins,  but 
himself  on  account  of  them.  "  Wherefore 
I  abhor  myself,  and  repent  in  dust  and 
ashes."  Job  42:  6.  The  repentance  of 
the  Corinthian  converts  was  attended  with 
the  same  happy  results.  "For  behold  this, 
self-same  thing,  that  ye  sorrowed  after  a 
godly  sort,  what  carefulness  it  wrought  in 
you ;  yea,  what  clearing  of  yourselves ; 
yea,  what  indignation ;  yea,  what  fear ; 
yea,  what  vehement  desire ;  yea,  what 
zeal ;  yea,  what  revenge  ! "  2  Cor.  7 :  11. 
Such  in  nature  and  effect  is  evangelical 
repentance.  The  Spirit  of  God  is  its  au- 
thor, and  the  contrite  sinner  its  subject.  It 
diflfers  materially  from  false  repentance  or 
that  which  Judas  experienced.     It  is  said 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  91 

of  that  traitor,  that  he  repented,  but  he  did 
not  reform ;  ho  hved  a  thief  and  died  a 
murderer.  Had  he  been  a  true  penitent, 
he  would  have  looked  to  Jesus  for  pardon, 
forsaken  and  hated  his  sins,  and  commenced 
a  religious  life.  He  was  sorry,  no  doubt, 
that  he  had  committed  a  sin  which  exposed 
him  to  the  endless  displeasure  of  God, 
amidst  the  flames  of  the  bottomless  pit ;  but 
for  sin  itself,  irrespective  of  its  conse- 
quences, we  have  reason  to  believe  he  was 
not  sorry,  for  he  went  away  immediately 
and  hanged  himself;  that  is,  he  committed 
a  sin  next  in  criminality,  probably,  to  that 
of  betraying  his  Lord.  The  elements. of 
hell  were  in  his  bosom,  where  its  fires  were 
already  kindled.  Paul's  repentance  made 
him  a  saint — the  repentance  of  Judas  left 
him  a  devil.  "Have  I  not  chosen  you 
twelve,  and  one  of  you  is  a  devil?  He 
spake  of  Judas  Iscariot,  the  son  of  Simon.' 
John  6:  70,  71. 

Reader,  have  you  repented  ?     Do  you 
now  repent  ?     Is  your  heart  filled  with  an 
guish  for  sin  ?     This  work  is  appropriately 


;# 


92  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

your  own ;  no  one  can  do  it  for  you. 
Should  others  shed  rivers  of  tears  on  your 
account,  it  would  avail  you  nothing,  while 
you  remain  impenitent.  The  fountain  of 
godly  sorrow  must  be  opened  in  your  own 
bosom;  the  tide  of  penitential  grief  must 
gush  from  your  own  heart.  The  Spirit  is 
now  striving ;  why  do  you  resist  him  ?  He 
works  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do,  and 
you  must  work  out  your  salvation  with 
fear  and  trembling.  "  Except  ye  repent  ye 
shall  all  likewise  perish."  Yes,  you  must 
repent  or  perish,  and  perish,  too,  in  the 
world  of  despair,  and  perish  everlastingly. 

But  do  you  ask,  Whe?i  shall  I  repent  ? 
A  strange  question  indeed  for  an  awakened 
sinner  to  propose.  You  would  be  surprised 
to  hear  a  man,  standing  on  the  brink  of  a 
burning  lake,  ask  whether  he  should  go 
forward  or  backward,  and  when  he  should 
do  it.  You  are  to  repent  immediately. 
While  you  are  reading  these  pages,  your 
heart  should  break  in  contrition,  and  flow 
out  in  penitential  sorrow.  Convicted  sin- 
ners on  the  day  of  Pentecost  asked  not 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  93 

when  they  should  repent,  but  what  they 
should  do.  They  felt  the  burden  of  guilt, 
and  desired  to  have  it  removed  at  the  ear- 
liest possible  moment. 

But  I  hear  you  say,  I  fear  I  am  not  suf- 
ficiently convicted  of  sin.  Are  you  con- 
victed at  all  ?  If  so,  repent  immediately, 
renounce  and  abhor  your  sins.  Would  you 
travel  to  the  top  of  Sinai,  that  you  may 
feel  the  hottest  bolts  of  offended  justice,  or 
go  down  to  the  burning  pit,  that  you  may 
experience  the  wailings  of  the  lost,  before 
you  repent  ?  On  your  way  to  Calvary  you 
must  pass  Sinai.  Be  thankful  that  you  are 
not  required  to  be  crushed  by  its  thunders, 
before  you  can  reach  the  mount  of  mercy. 


94  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

FAITH   IN  GOD. 

Who  by  him  do  believe  in  God,  that  raised  him  up  from  the  dead, 
and  gave  him  glory,  that  yoar  faith  and  hope  might  be  in  God.  1  Pet. 
1:21. 

We  shall  consider,  in  this  chapter,  the 
nature,  importance,  and  objects  of  Faith, 
and  attempt  to  show  how  it  may  be  exer- 
cised so  as  to  secure  salvation. 

1.  The  nature  of  Faith.  Faith,  in  gen- 
eral, is  that  principle  in  the  soul  which  en- 
ables us  to  trust  in  the  word  and  character 
of  a  being  possessing  attributes  worthy 
of  confidence.  It  presupposes  knowledge  ; 
for  we  cannot  trust  in  one  of  whom  we 
are  entirely  ignorant.  It  requires  integrity 
in  the  being  in  whom  it  is  reposed ;  for  we 
cannot  confide  implicitly  in  one  who  is 
known  to  deceive.  It  is  attended  with 
peace,  joy,  and  sensible  comfort ;   implies 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  95 

expectation,  leads  to  obedience,  and  insures 
reward.     Take  an  illustration  :  — 

A  man  guilty  of  some  capital  offence, 
and  under  sentence  of  death,  is  confined  in 
prison,  waiting  for  his  execution.  While 
reflecting  upon  his  forlorn  and  hopeless 
condition,  a  person  enters  his  cell  and 
hands  him  a  letter.  He  opens  and  reads 
it,  and  finds  it  contains  a  promise,  in  the 
handwriting  of  his  prince,  that  if  he  will 
sincerely  and  publicly  confess  to  him  his 
crime,  he  shall  be  pardoned  and  set  at  lib- 
erty. Knowing  that  his  prince,  being  a 
man  of  truth,  always  fulfils  his  promises, 
he  believes  his  declaration.  This  is  faith, 
and  the  strength  of  his  faith  will  be  in 
proportion  to  the  evidence  he  has  of  his 
sovereign's  integrity.  He  now  expects  his 
liberty,  not  because  he  desires  it,  or  de- 
serves it,  but  because  his  sovereign  has 
promised  it,  and  his  expectation  is  attended 
with  sensible  comfort,  even  before  he  re- 
ceives forgiveness.  Having  signified  his 
acceptance  of  the  proposed  conditions,  he 
is  released  from  his  chains,  his  prison  door 


96 


AWAKENED    SINNEK    DIRECTED. 


is  opened,  he  appears  in  the  presence  of  his 
prince,  makes  the  confession  required,  is 
pardoned,  and  set  at  liberty.  His  faith  led 
to  obedience,  and  obedience  secured  re- 
ward. What,  now,  were  the  cause  and 
ground  of  that  man's  faith  ?  Not  his  de- 
sires to  be  released  from  his  confinement  ; 
for  these  he  had,  while,  to  his  own  mind, 
his  condition  was  hopeless.  Nor  was  it  the 
integrity  of  his  prince,  merely,  for  this  was 
a  well-known  fact  before  he  received  offers 
of  pardon.  The  cause  of  his  faith  was, 
evidently,  the  word  of  his  prince,  and  his 
integrity  was  the  ground  of  it.  Had  his 
sovereign  been  deceitful,  he  could  not  have 
believed  him.  Had  he  been  a  man  of 
integrity,  and  made  no  offers  of  pardon,  his 
condition  would  still  have  been  hopeless. 

In  this  illustration  we  see  the  operation 
of  the  understanding  and  heart,  in  the  ex- 
ercise of  faith.  The  prisoner,  perceiving 
the  conditions  of  pardon,  and  their  connec- 
tion with  his  future  happiness,  and  expect- 
ing his  liberty  on  the  ground  of  his  sove- 
reign's integrity,  heartily  accepted  them; 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  97 

he  confessed  his  crime,  reformed  his  life, 
and,  becoming  an  obedient  subject,  was 
restored  to  royal  favor. 

2.  The  importance  of  Faith.  Is  it  a 
doom  unspeakably  dreadful  to  die  in  sin 
and  sink  to  perdition  ?  "If  ye  believe  not 
that  I  am  he,  ye  shall  die  in  your  sins." 
John  8:  24.  "He  that  believeth  not  shall 
be  damned."  Mark  16:  16.  Is  deliver- 
ance from  the  tremendous  penalty  of  God's 
violated  law  a  blessing  greatly  to  be  de- 
sired ?  "  Christ  is  the  end  of  the  law  for 
righteousness  to  every  one  that  believeth." 
Rom.  10:  4.  Is  a  state  of  justification  and 
peace  with  God  an  honor  and  a  privilege  ? 
"Being  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace 
with  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
Rom.  5:1.  Is  purity  of  heart  essential  to 
the  heavenly  state  ?  "  Purifying  their  hearts 
by  faith."  Acts  15:  9.  Do  those  inherit 
peculiar  honors  who  are  children  of  God 
and  sons  of  God  ?  "  Ye  are  all  the  children 
of  God  by  faith  in  Christ  Jesus."  Gal.  3: 
26.  "As  many  as  received  him,  to  them 
gave  he  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God, 
9 


98  AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name." 
John  1 :  12.  Is  life  everlasting  in  heaven 
an  imperishable  treasure  ?  "  He  that  be- 
lieveth  on  the  Son,  hath  everlasting  life." 
John  3:  36.  From  these  declarations  of 
Scripture,  you  perceive,  at  once,  the  im- 
mense importance  of  faith  in  Christ. 

3.  The  object  of  Faith.  The  triune 
Jehovah,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost, 
possessing  all  those  infinite  and  adorable 
perfections  ascribed  to  him  in  his  Word, 
and  reflected  in  his  works  of  creation  and 
providence,  is  the  object  of  saving  faith. 
He  is  an  object  surpassingly  grand,  attrac- 
tive, and  glorious,  and  is,  in  all  respects, 
worthy  of  the  highest  confidence  of  his 
intelligent  creatures.  Such  was  the  object 
of  Abraham's  faith.  "Abraham  believed 
God,  and  it  was  counted  unto  him  for 
righteousness."  Rom.  4:  3.  Such  is  the 
object  of  every  true  believer's  faith.  '•  He 
that  Cometh  to  God,  must  believe  that  he 
is,  and  that  he  is  a  rewarder  of  them  that 
diligently  seek  him."     Heb.  11:  6. 

Saving  faith  respects  Christ  as  its  object, 


AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED.  99 

especially  in  his  mediatorial  character  as 
the  Son  of  God,  our  atoning  priest,  inter- 
cessor, king,  and  judge.  Says  our  Saviour, 
"Ye  believe  in  God  ;  believe  also  in  me." 
John  14:  1,  "Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved."  Acts 
16 :  31.  "  This  is  the  will  of  him  that  sent 
me,  that  every  one  which  seeth  the  Son, 
and  believeth  on  him,  may  have  everlast- 
ing life."  John  6:  40.  These  passages 
sufficiently  indicate  the  object  of  the  be- 
liever's faith.  All  who  believe  in  Christ, 
take  his  word  as  the  rule  of  their  life. 

4.  We  are  now  to  consider  how  faith 
may  be  exercised  so  as  to  secure  pardon 
and  salvation.  Awakened  reader,  you  have 
now  arrived  at  a  most  interesting  point, — 
the  point  upon  which,  especially,  your  sal- 
vation depends.  Faith  in  God  and  Christ 
is  the  leading  grace.  Without  it,  you  are 
a  vessel  of  wrath,  fitted  to  destruction; 
with  it,  you  are  a  vessel  of  mercy,  fitted 
for  glory,  honor,  and  immortality.  Are  you 
anxious  to  believe,  and  would  you  believe, 
if  you  knew  how  to  do  it  ?     I  invite  your 


''iW^B 


100         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

attention,  then,  to  the   following  consid- 
erations :  — 

1.  God  is  the  object  of  saving  faith,  and 
you  are  to  approach  him  and  believe  in 
him,  through  Jesus  the  mediator.  He  says, 
"  Look  unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the 
ends  of  the  earth  ;  for  I  am  God,  and  there 
is  none  else."  Isa.  45 :  22.  This  com- 
mand, accompanied  with  a  precious  prom- 
ise, is  addressed  to  all,  and  to  you  in  par- 
ticular. It  presents  God  as  the  object  of 
faith,  salvation  as  the  reward  of  faith,  and 
looking  to  God  as  the  way  to  secure  this 
salvation.  Faith  is  the  eye,  that  looks  to 
God.  You  have  only  to  look  and  be  saved. 
How  easy  and  simple !  What  could  be 
more  so  ?  Looking,  here,  is  the  same  thing 
as  believing  or  trusting.  You  are  to  look 
to  God  for  salvation,  and  to  believe  in 
looking.  But  how  are  you  to  look  effectu- 
ally ?  Saving  faith  is  an  exercise  of  the 
heart,  and  implies  affection.  You  must 
look  to  God,  then,  not  with  your  bodily 
eye,  not  with  your  understanding  merely, 
but  with  your  heart.    "  For  with  the  heart 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  101 

man  believeth  unto  righteousness."  Rom. 
10:  10.  In  looking  to  God,  effectnally, 
you  must  believe  in  him,  and  trust  in  his 
word  with  all  your  heart.  Such  was  the 
instruction  of  Philip  to  the  inquiring  Eu- 
nuch. "  If  thou  believest  with  all  thy 
heart,  thou  mayest."     Acts  8:  37. 

But  what  are  you  to  believe  with  all 
your  heart  ?  You  are  to  believe  not  only 
that  God  is,  and  that  his  word  is  infallible 
truth,  but  that  he  will  faithfully  perform 
what  he  has  promised  ;  that  if  you  comply 
with  his  requisitions,  you  will  be  saved  ; 
that  is,  you  shall  realize  all  that  is  implied 
in  present  and  eternal  salvation. 

2.  You  are  to  believe  immediately.  Yes, 
while  reading  these  pages  you  are  to  exer- 
cise faith.  And  why  not  ?  God  will  never 
be  more  worthy  of  your  confidence,  than 
he  now  is.  It  will  never  be  easier  for  you 
to  exercise  faith  in  him,  than  it  now  is. 
Nothing  but  accumulated  guilt  and  over- 
whelming destruction  can  be  gained  by 
waiting.  Your  condition  is  perilous  ;  it  is 
fearfully  alarming.  "  He  that  believeth 
9^ 


102        AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED. 

not,  is  condemned  already;  the  wrath  of 
God  abideth  on  him."  Unbelief  is  that 
great  sin  which  emphatically  deserves 
death,  and  you  are  guilty  of  it  every  mo- 
ment. You  have  multiplied  these  sins,  till 
their  cry  for  vengeance  has  entered  into 
the  ears  of  the  Lord  of  Sabaoth.  To  this 
and  to  all  other  sins  God  has  proclaimed 
his  irreconcilable  hatred.  His  language  is, 
"Do  not  that  abominable  thing  which  I 
hate."  Look  unto  God,  and  be  saved; 
believe  in  him  now,  and  you  shall  live. 
The  jailer  believed  immediately,  and  was 
pardoned  and  justified.  The  man  in  pris- 
on, under  sentence  of  death,  on  receiving 
ofiers  of  pardon  from  his  sovereign,  be- 
lieved at  once,  and  was  released  from  con- 
demnation. Your  duty  is  plain;  it  is  a 
pressing  duty ;  believe  in  God  now,  be- 
lieve with  all  your  heart,  and  you  shall  be 
saved. 

3.  You  are  to  believe  joyfully.  "  He 
that  believeth,  shall  be  saved ; "  yes,  shall 
be  saved  from  endless  sinning  and  endless 
suffering,     O  reader,  what  joyful  tidings ! 


AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED.  103 

You  should  rejoice  in  the  offers  of  pardon, 
and  rejoice,  too,  that  you  can  accept  them. 
The  jailer  rejoiced,  believing  in  God,  with 
all  his  house.  He  had  occasion  for  it ;  his 
sins  were  pardoned,  his  guilt  was  purged 
away,  and  his  heaven  secured.  You,  too, 
should  rejoice  in  believing,  and  rejoice  ex- 
ceedingly, that  you  can  believe  now.  The 
Spirit  is  striving ;  God  is  near  as  the  ob- 
ject of  faith ;  salvation  is  the  reward  of 
faith,  and  this  reward  is  obtained  simply 
by  believing.  On  the  first  exercise  of 
faith,  you  are  to  be  delivered  from  the  bon- 
dage of  corruption,  and  brought  into  the 
liberty  of  the  sons  of  God ;  you  are  to  be 
pardoned,  justified,  and  received  into  royal 
favor.  Glad  tidings  indeed !  Rejoice  and 
believe ;  believe  in  God  and  rejoice,  and 
you  shall  have  occasion  for  augmented  joy 
to  all  eternity. 

4.  Saving  faith  implies  expectation.  In 
the  exercise  of  faith  in  God,  you  are  to 
expect  salvation,  free,  full,  and  eternal  sal- 
vation, purchased  and  offered  through  the 


104         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

mediation  and  death  of  his  Son  ;  and  you 
are  to  expect  it  on  the  ground  of  his  vera- 
city, of  which  you  have  as  good  evidence 
now  as  you  ever  will  have.  You  may,  in- 
deed, feel  your  unworthiness  of  so  great  a 
blessing  ;  but  you  must  not  doubt  the  abil- 
ity or  willingness  of  God  to  bestow  it. 
Unbelief  is  sin ;  it  is  an  insult  offered  to 
the  great  Jehovah.  You  would  feel  your- 
self dishonored,  should  you  offer  to  relieve 
a  beggar,  and  he  should  doubt  your  sincer- 
ity, or  question  your  veracity.  The  evi- 
dence of  both  is  as  clear  to  his  own  mind 
now,  Eis  it  will  be  to-morrow,  or  next  year. 
God  is  true  and  faithful;  "just  and  right 
is  he."  "  Hath  he  said,  and  will  he  not 
do  it?  Hath  he  promised,  and  will  he  not 
make  it  good  ? "  Has  God  ever  deceived 
you,  or  proved  unfaithful  to  his  promises  ? 
You  know  he  has  not.  Believe  in  him, 
then,  and  expect  salvation  ;  take  him  at 
his  word,  trust  in  him  now,  and  you  shall 
be  immediately  pardoned  and  justified 
through  faith;  confide  in  him  implicitly. 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  105 

with  all  your  heart,  and  you  "  shall  be  as 
Mount  Zion,  which  cannot  be  removed, 
but  abideth  forever." 

5.  Saving  faith  leads  to  obedience,  and 
insures  reward.  If  we  have  true  faith  in 
God,  we  shall  not  only  believe  his  word, 
but  cheerfully  obey  it,  without  asking 
questions  or  requiring  reasons  for  the  di- 
vine procedure,  and  shall  find,  with  the 
Psalmist,  that  "  in  keeping  his  command- 
ments there  is  great  reward."  Such  was 
the  faith  of  Abraham.  When  required  to 
leave  his  own  country  for  a  land  of  stran- 
gers, he  "  obeyed,  and  he  went  out  not 
knowing  whither  he  went."  Says  the 
apostle  John,  "  If  we  confess  our  sins,  he 
is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins, 
and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteous- 
ness." 1  John  1:9.  In  these  few  words, 
the  method  of  pardon  and  acceptance  with 
God  is  clearly  described.  We  have  only 
to  confess  our  sins,  humbly,  with  deep 
contrition  and  entire  renunciation,  and  God 
is  both  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  them. 
Yes,  he  will  do  more,  (and  more  certainly 


106  AMAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

needs  to  be  done  ;)  he  will,  by  the  sancti- 
fying power  of  his  Spirit,  ultimately  cleanse 
us  from  all  unrighteousness,  make  us  per- 
fectly holy,  and  fit  us  for  heaven.  All  this 
God  has  promised.  Do  you  believe  it,  and 
does  your  faith  lead  to  obedience  ?  Are 
you  proving  it  by  your  own  experience  ? 
Have  you  confessed,  and  do  you  now  hum- 
bly and  penitently  confess  your  sins,  ex- 
pecting to  be  forgiven  on  the  word  and 
truth  of  God  ?  This  is  faith ;  and  faith 
exercised  shall  be  rewarded ;  you  shall  be 
forgiven.  The  man  in  prison  first  believed 
the  ofiers  of  pardon  made  by  his  prince, 
and,  on  the  strength  of  his  faith  in  the 
word  and  veracity  of  his  sovereign,  he 
obeyed ;  that  is,  complied  with  the  condi- 
tions of  pardon,  and  was  rewarded ;  he 
was  pardoned  and  set  at  liberty.  This 
view  of  the  subject  accords  with  the  expe- 
rience of  David.  On  the  strength  of  his 
faith  in  the  word  and  veracity  of  God,  he 
says,  "  I  acknowledge  my  sin  unto  thee, 
and  mine  iniquity  have  I  not  hid.  I  said, 
I  will  confess  my  transgressions  unto  the 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  107 

Lord,  and  thou  forgavest  the  iniquity  of 
my  sin."     Ps.  32 :  5. 

But  you  say,  I  have  confessed  my  sins  a 
hundred  times,  and  yet  I  feel  the  burden  ; 
they  are  not  forgiven.  And  did  you  con- 
fess them  in  faith  ?  Did  you  expect  to  be 
forgiven  ?  Is  your  humility  as  deep  as  that 
of  the  Publican,  and  your  contrition  as 
thorough?  Like  Peter,  have  you  grieved 
for  and  mourned  over  sin  ?  Look  well 
to  these  questions,  and  answer  them  hon- 
estly, before  you  complain.  One  thing 
more.  Have  you  forsaken  your  sins,  as 
well  as  confessed  them  ?  Have  ySu  done 
it  in  faith  ?  "  He  that  covereth  his  sins 
shall  not  prosper ;  but  whoso  confesseth 
and  forsaketh  them,  shall  have  mercy." 
Prov.  28  :  13.  Are  you  ready  to  abandon, 
now  and  forever,  all  sins  of  action,  secret 
and  open  profaneness,  Sabbath-breaking, 
excessive  worldliness,  dishonesty,  and  sins 
still  more  gross  and  flagrant,  if  you  have 
been  guilty  of  them  ?  Sins  of  heart,  too, 
unbelief,  pride,  ingratitude,  selfishness,  ha- 
tred, malice,  revenge,  and  a  host  of  forbid- 


108         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

den  lusts  and  appetites,  must  be  sacrificed. 
Sins  of  omission,  also,  equally  numerous, 
and  perhaps  not  less  criminal — such  as  neg- 
lect of  God,  want  of  love  to  him,  neglect 
of  prayer,  not  loving  your  neighbor  as 
yourself,  want  of  love  to  enemies,  neglect 
of  Christ,  and  others  of  a  kindred  nature, 
must  be  abandoned.  The  dearest  and 
most  hidden  sin,  that  traitor  of  the  soul, 
must  be  brought  out  and  slain  upon  the 
altar  of  God.  Make  this  sacrifice  cheer- 
fully, heartily,  and  in  faith,  and  you  shall 
have  mercy,  and  such  mercy  as  includes 
pardonj'peace,  hope,  consolation,  and  tri- 
umph, and  a  crown  of  life,  which  fadeth 
not  away,  in  heaven.  This  shall  be  your 
everlasting  reward. 

Here  it  may  be  proper  to  remark,  that 
there  are  some  sins  which  God  requires  us 
to  confess  to  man  as  well  as  to  himself, 
before  they  can  be  forgiven,  and  conscience 
will  point  them  out.  I  refer  now  to  wrongs 
and  injuries  done  to  others.  A  young  man, 
who  had  been  remarkable  for  his  integrity 
and  correctness  in  external  deportment,  in 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  109 

an  hour  of  temptation,  when  he  could  do 
it  without  detection,  withheld  a  sum  of 
money  from  its  owner,  and  laid  it  aside  for 
his  own  use.  Some  time  after,  the  Spirit 
of  God  visited  the  place  of  his  residence, 
and  among  others,  he  was  awakened.  His 
convictions  were  pungent ;  he  sighed,  and 
wept,  and  prayed,  but  found  no  relief. 
Others  conversed  with  him,  and  pointed 
him  to  the  Lamb  of  God ;  but  his  burden 
remained.  To  some  it  was  a  matter  of 
surprise,  that  one  so  amiable  should  be 
crushed  so  long,  and  seek  salvation  with  so 
much  apparent  eeirnestness,  but  not  obtain 
it.  He,  however,  knew  the  reason.  That 
money,  unjustly  withheld,  that  wedge  of 
gold,  that  accursed  thing,  was  still  in  his 
house,  and  conscience  would  not  suffer  him 
to  rest,  nor  God  grant  him  pardon,  till  it 
was  brought  out  and  restored.  He  knew 
his  duty,  but  refused  to  do  it ;  the  struggle 
was  long  and  severe ;  conviction  was  con- 
suming his  energies ;  the  rebukes  of  con- 
science were  terrible ;  a  cross  was  before 
him ;  it  must  be  taken  up ;  but  O,  how 
10 


110         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

could  he  do  it?  His  reputation  was  at 
stake;  disgrace  would  be  fastened  upon 
him.  He  had  confessed  his  sin  to  God, 
but  that  was  not  enough;  he  must  confess 
it  to  man ;  he  saw  clearly  that  he  must  do 
it,  or  lie  down  in  endless  burnings.  At 
length  he  disclosed  the  matter  to  a  confi- 
dential friend,  and  was  advised  to  go  to  the 
man,  and  tell  him  that  he  had  made  a  mis- 
take in  reckoning,  and  would  make  resti- 
tution. "  O,  no,"  he  replied,  "  that  will 
not  do ;  I  made  no  mistake ;  I  did  it  know- 
ingly; I  must  tell  the  whole."  Here  you 
see  the  power  of  conscience.  This  friend 
advised  him  to  go  and  confess  the  whole, 
as  conscience  bade  him.  He  did  so:  taking 
the  money,  he  hastened  to  the  man,  as  if 
avenging  justice  was  behind  him,  fell  upon 
his  knees,  confessed  his  sin,  and  made  res- 
titution. The  man,  surprised  at  the  mat- 
ter, cheerfully  forgave  him.  His  burden 
disappeared ;  he  arose  with  a  light  and  joy- 
ful heart,  believed  in  God,  and  for  years 
has  been  a  valuable  member  of  the  church 
of  Christ. 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  Ill 

Reader,  have  you  cherished  unkind  feel- 
ings towards  another,  or  injured  him  in 
character  or  property?  Go  and  confess 
your  fault,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  make 
restitution,  as  conscience  bids  you.  Is  it 
humbling  ?  That  may  be  one  reason  why 
God  requires  it.  The  pride  of  your  heart 
must  be  brought  down  ;  humility  is  essen- 
tial to  saving  faith.  "  He  that  humbleth 
himself  shall  be  exalted."  "Confess  your 
faults  one  to  another,  and  pray  one  for  an- 
other, that  ye  may  be  healed."  James 
5:  16. 

Let  us  go  back  now  to  the  illustration 
in  the  former  part  of  the  chapter,  and  sup- 
pose that  the  man  in  prison,  through  un- 
belief, had  refused  to  accept  the  offers  of 
pardon  made  by  his  sovereign  ;  what  would 
have  been  the  consequence  ?  He  must 
have  been  executed ;  the  kindness,  mercy, 
and  benevolence  of  his  sovereign,  even, 
could  not  have  saved  him.  He  would 
have  lost  his  life,  too,  not  because  he  had 
broken  the  law,  and  deserved  to  die,  but 
because,  in  his  unbelief,  he  bad  refused  to 


112         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

accept  the  offers  of  pardon.  He  would 
have  deserved  twice  to  die,  first  for  his 
crime,  and  secondly  for  his  unbelief.  You, 
too,  awakened  sinner,  if  you  continue  in 
unbelief,  must  die  inevitably  and  everlast- 
ingly. The  mercy  and  benevolence  of 
God  in  Christ,  even,  cannot  save  you. 
Your  conviction  of  sin,  your  prayers  and 
tears,  your  anxiety  for  salvation,  will  avail 
nothing,  unless  you  believe.  "  He  that 
believeth  not  shall  be  damned."  Mark 
16  :  16.  If,  then,  you  perish  eternally,  un- 
belief will  be  the  real  cause  of  your  de- 
struction. Faith  is  the  saving  grace.  "  He 
that  believeth  shall  be  saved."  Whatever 
else  may  be  done,  if  faith  be  not  exercised, 
you  will  be  lost ;  and  you  will  be  saved,  if 
you  have  true  faith  in  God,  should  death 
overtake  you  the  next  moment. 


AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED.  113 


CHAPTER   X. 

FAITH  IN  CHRIST. 

Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shall  be  saved.     AcU 
16:  31. 

As  saving  faith  respects  Christ  as  its 
object,  we  shall  now  attempt  to  show  how 
it  may  be  exercised  so  as  to  secure  the 
blessings  of  his  atonement.  Faith  in  God 
and  faith  in  Christ  are  essentially  the  same, 
possessing  similar  properties,  and  diifering 
only  in  the  objects  on  which  they  rest. 

Saving  faith  respects  the  character,  word, 
and  works  of  Christ.  The  character  of 
Christ  includes  not  only  his  being  and  at- 
tributes, as  he  existed  from  eternity,  but  all 
the  divine  perfections,  happily  blended  and 
embodied  in  a  human  form,  and  shining 
out  illustriously  and  gloriously  in  the  per- 
son of  Christ.  The  word  of  Christ  com- 
10* 


114         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

prehends  all  that  he  has  himself  said  or 
revealed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  sacred 
Scriptures.  The  works  of  Christ  include 
all  that  he  has  done  in  creating,  sustaining, 
and  redeeming  the  world,  and  all  that  he 
has  done  and  will  do  for  his  people  as  their 
intercessor  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty 
on  high. 

Christ,  the  object  of  the  believer's  faith, 
is  eternal,  unchangeable,  infinite  in  wisdom 
and  holiness,  almighty,  all-sufficient,  mer- 
ciful and  compassionate,  in  himself  infi- 
nitely desirable,  attractive,  and  lovely,  and 
able  and  willing  to  save  unto  the  utter- 
most all  that  come  unto  God  by  him.  "  As 
many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he 
power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even  to 
them  that  believe  on  his  name.  Which 
were  born  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of 
the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of 
God."  John  1:  12,  13.  Faith  is  the  hand 
that  receives  Christ.  .Receiving  Christ  is 
the  same  as  believing,  trusting  or  confiding 
in  him,  and  implies  an  expectation  that  he 
will  perform  all  that  he  has  promised. 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  115 

1.  Relying  upon  the  assistance  of  the 
divine  Spirit,  you  are  to  believe  in  Christ 
immediately,  and  joyfully  to  receive  him 
by  faith,  with  all  your  heart,  as  revealed  in 
the  Bible,  not  merely  as  God,  for  God 
out  of  Christ  'is  a  consuming  fire,'  (Heb. 
12  :  29  ;)  not  merely  as  man,  for,  "  Cursed 
be  the  man  that  trusteth  in  man,  and 
maketh  flesh  his  arm."  (Jer.  17:  5.)  But 
you  are  to  receive  him  by  faith  in  his 
divine  and  human  natures  combined,  as 
God  manifest  in  the  flesh,  for  "  in  him 
dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead 
bodily ;  "  and  in  this  capacity  you  are  to  ac- 
knowledge him  as  your  mediator,  standing 
between  you  and  God,  to  negotiate  terms  of 
reconciliation.  You  must  receive  him  by 
faith  as  your  atoning  priest,  obeying  the 
divine  law,  and  sufiering  its  penalty  in 
your  stead,  for  God  the  Father  poured  upon 
him,  as  our  substitute  and  expiatory  sacri- 
fice, those  vials  of  his  wrath,  which  must 
have  crushed  our  hopes  forever,  and  sent 
us  to  a  world  of  endless  weeping.  You 
must  receive  Christ  as  your  king,  admit 


116         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

him  to  the  throne  of  your  heart,  submit 
cheerfully  to  his  authority,  and  obey  his 
laws.  You  must  receive  him  also  as  your 
intercessor  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  to  ad- 
vocate your  cause,  and  as  your  final  judge, 
not  only  to  search  your  heart,  but  to  ab- 
solve you  from  legal  penalties,  and  admit 
you  to  life  everlasting  in  his  presence 
above. 

In  thus  believing  on  Christ,  you  are  to 
expect  all  the  blessings  included  in  being  a 
son  and  heir  of  God,  and  you  are  to  expect 
them  on  the  ground  of  his  infallible  word 
and  inviolable  veracity,  for  he  declares, 
"  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away ;  but 
my  words  shall  not  pass  away."  Mark 
13:  31.  O,  glorious  Saviour,  infinitely 
worthy  of  our  highest  confidence  and 
purest  love  ! 

2.  It  is  essential  to  faith  in  Christ,  that 
we  be  cut  oflf  entirely  from  every  created 
dependence.  Awakened  sinners  are  much 
more  inclined  to  trust  in  a  Saviour  of  their 
own  creation,  than  to  confide  in  Jesus, 
whom    God    hath    appointed.      But    this 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  117 

course  must  be  abandoned,  or  true  faith 
will  not  be  exercised.  As  the  scion  must 
be  entirely  separated  from  its  original  stock 
before  it  can  be  grafted  into  the  new  one, 
and  be  made  a  partaker  of  the  root  and 
fatness  of  the  same,  so  the  sinner  must  be 
entirely  cut  off  from  every  created  depend- 
ence, before  he  can  be  united  to  Christ  by 
faith,  and  receive  from  him  spiritual  and 
eternal  life.  So  long  as  you  trust  in  your 
morality,  your  convictions,  your  friends, 
the  world,  or  any  other  refuge  of  lies,  Christ 
will  not  accept  you.  These  must  all  be 
abandoned ;  the  altar  of  Moloch  must  be 
demolished  ;  these  idols  of  the  heart  must 
be  surrendered  ;  you  must  cut  loose  from 
them  all,  and  launch  abroad  upon  the 
fathomless  ocean  of  redeeming  mercy  and 
love.  Christ  alone,  Immanuel,  God  with 
us,  must  be  your  Saviour. 

3.  In  the  exercise  of  saving  faith,  the 
sinner,  aided  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  commits 
himself,  in  all  his  guilt  and  helplessness,  en- 
tirely to  Christ,  and  relies  on  him  alone  for 
salvation.     This  committal  Saul  of  Tarsus 


118         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

made,  when  he  said,  "Lord,  what  wilt 
thou  have  me  to  do?"  The  thief  upon 
the  cross  made  it,  as  he  uttered  the  petition, 
"Lord,  remember  me  when  thou  comest 
into  thy  kingdom."  When  this  point  is 
gained,  the  conflict  ceases,  the  clouds  dis- 
appear,- and  beams  of  heavenly  light  break 
in  upon  the  soul.  Anxious  sinner,  do 
earthly  supports  fait  you  ?  Has  the  hope 
of  saving  yourself  vanished?  Is  every 
other  path  obstructed,  except  that  which 
leads  to  the  cross  ?  Happy  moment  ? 
Blessed  crisis!  The  way  is  now  open  for 
you  to  be  saved.  Faith  begins  where 
works  cease ;  life  commences  where  death 
terminates.  Go  to  Jesus;  go  just  as  you 
are,  wretched,  miserable,  poor,  blind,  naked. 

"  All  the  fitness  he  requireth 
Is,  to  feel  your  need  of  him." 

He  kindly  invites  you,  "Come  unto  me, 
all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and 
I  will  give  you  rest."  Matt.  11:  28. 
Make  a  full  and  final  committal  of  yourself 
to  Christ,  and  you  shall  find  rest,  —  rest, 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  119 

too,  which  includes  pardon,  justification, 
and  eternal  life. 

'But  how  shall  I  make  this  committal?' 
Jeremiah,  the  prophet,  was  once  let  down 
into  a  dungeon  by  his  enemies,  where  he 
must  soon  have  perished  from  hunger  and 
other  causes,  had  he  not  been  rescued  by 
the  power  of  another.  Ebed-melech,  an 
Ethiopian,  having  interceded  with  the 
king  in  the  prophet's  behalf,  obtained  an 
order  to  take  thirty  men  with  him,  and 
draw  Jeremiah  out  of  the  dungeon.  The 
order  was  executed,  and  the  prophet  saved. 
(Jer.  38.)  Now,  apply  this  illustration  to 
yourself.  The  prophet,  sinking  in  the 
mire  and  exposed  to  death,  saw  clearly 
that  he  had  no  power  adequate  to  his  deliv- 
erance ;  that,  if  saved  at  all,  he  must  be 
rescued  by  the  power  of  another,  while  at 
the  same  time  he  felt  that  he  had  some- 
thing to  do ;  he  could  cry  for  help,  and 
accept  it  when  oflfered.  You,  as  a  con- 
demned sinner,  under  sentence  of  death, 
and  sinking  in  guilt  to  a  world  of  misery, 
have   no   power   to   save  yourself.      You 


120         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

perceive,  that,  if  rescued  at  all,  you  must 
be  rescued  by  an  arm  of  infinite  strength, 
while  at  the  same  time  you  have  something 
to  do  in  the  work  of  salvation.  The  friends 
of  Jeremiah,  aware  of  his  condition,  let 
down  to  him  ropes  and  other  means  of  de- 
liverance, and  promised  to  raise  him  up  out 
of  the  dungeon,  if  he  would  avail  himself 
of  the  instrumentality  which  they  offered. 
Jesus,  the  sinner's  friend,  aware  of  your 
condition,  has  come  to  deliver  you ;  he  has 
made  all  the  provision  requisite  for  your 
salvation,  and  promises  to  save  you  from 
impending  destruction,  if  you  will  by  faith 
receive  him  as  your  deliverer,  and  rely  for 
acceptance  with  God  upon  his  mediation 
and  atonement. 

When  the  ropes  were  let  down  to  the 
prophet,  and  his  friends  had  assured  him 
that  they  would  draw  him  out  of  the  dun- 
geon, his  condition  and  prospects  were 
immediately  changed ;  faith  began  to  oper- 
ate, and  it  did  not  seem  difficult  for  him 
to  exercise  it.  He  believed  that  he  could 
be  saved,  and  was  comforted  j  he  expected 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  121 

deliverance,  for  he  had  confidence  in  the 
strength  of  the  ropes  and  the  assurance  of 
his  friends,  in  their  ability  and  willingness 
to  fulfil  their  promise,  and  he  intended  to 
avail  himself  of  their  ofier.  This  was 
faith  in  its  incipient  operations  ;  but  still  he 
was  not  yet  rescued.  It  was  not  enough 
for  the  prophet  to  realize  his  perilous  con- 
dition, and  be  distressed  in  view  of  it ;  or 
to  believe  that  he  could  be  rescued,  and 
even  expect  it ;  all  this  was  not  enough  ; 
he  must  do  one  thing  more,  and  the  very 
thing  required.  He  must  in  faith  commit 
himself  to  those  ropes,  and  cling  to  them, 
relying  solely  upon  his  friends  for  deliv- 
erance :  he  did  so,  and  was  rescued ;  his 
faith,  in  an  important  sense,  saved  him, 
although  in  reality  delivered  by  the  power 
of  others. 

From  these  remarks  you  perceive,  that  it 
is  not  enough  that  Christ  has  made  an 
atonement,  and  promises  to  save  the  peni- 
tent believer,  and  that  he  even  stands  with 
outstretched  arms  to  receive  him.  It  is 
not  enough  that  you  believe  the  fact,  and 
11 


122         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

even  intend  and  expect  to  be  saved ;  it  is 
not  enough  that  you  have  been  convicted 
of  sin,  and  felt  yourself  sinking  to  perdi- 
tion ;  that  you  have  prayed,  and  read  the 
Bible,  and  asked  what  you  should  do  to  be 
saved ;  all  this  is  not  enough ;  if  you  stop 
here,  you  will  perish.  You  must  do  one 
thing  more ;  you  must  have  the  faith  of 
committal,  and  in  the  exercise  of  it  fall  into 
the  arms  of  Christ,  relying  on  him  alone 
for  salvation.  Till  this  point  is  reached, 
there  is  no  safety;  till  this  act  is  performed, 
there  is  nothing  done  to  any  saving  pur- 
pose. "  By  faith  ye  stand."  "  Believe  on 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be 
saved."  At  this  point  salvation  begins, 
and  beyond  it  spiritual  life  will  be  enjoyed, 
till  faith  is  crowned  with  immortality  above. 
"  Receiving  the  end  of  your  faith,  even  the 
salvation  of  your  souls." 

Do  you  thus  believe  ?  Have  you  made 
the  final  committal  of.  yourself  to  Christ, 
and  will  you  in  faith  follow  him  ?  I  charge 
you  to  do  it,  and  to  do  it  onward  till  death 
is  swallowed  up  in  victory,  and  faith  shall 
be  consummated  in  the  full  fruition  of  God. 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  123 

111  the  deliverance  of  Jeremiah,  we  have 
a  happy  iUustration  of  divine  and  human 
agency  combined  in  the  sinner's  salvation. 
God  mercifully  interposed  in  his  behalf;  he 
inclined  him  to  take  hold  of  those  ropes, 
and  enabled  him  to  cling  to  them  every 
moment,  till  he  was  raised  to  a  place  of 
safety.  Upon  this  invisible,  divine  power 
the  prophet  relied ;  and  had  it  been  with- 
held, had  he  been  stupid,  stubborn,  or  un- 
believing, or  yielding  to  unreasonable  fears, 
had  he  refused  to  make  an  effort,  he  must 
have  perished  in  the  dungeon.  In  the 
prophet  sinking  in  the  mire,  behold  where 
and  what  you  are,  on  whom  you  must  de- 
pend, and  what  you  must  do  to  be  saved. 
You  see  that,  if  you  are  stupid  or  stubborn, 
if  you  refuse  to  believe,  or  yield  to  ground- 
less fears,  you  must  perish  in  your  sins. 
Your  own  efforts  are  no  less  essential  to  your 
salvation  than  divine  agency;  they  must 
both  move  together.  When  God  acts, 
you  must  act ;  when  the  Spirit  strives,  you 
must  yield  to  his  influence ;  when  Christ  is 
presented  as   your  all-sufficient   deliverer, 


124         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

you  must  accept  him  by  faith.  And  why 
not  ?  Is  he  not  both  able  and  willing  to 
save  ?  You  know  he  is.  Has  he  ever 
proved  treacherous?  You  know  he  has 
not.  Has  he  not  saved  multitudes,  like 
yourself,  perishing  in  sin  ?  You  know  he 
has.  By  faith,  then,  fall  immediately  into 
his  almighty  arms  of  love  and  mercy.  He 
saves  to  the  uttermost ;  give  him  your  su- 
preme affection,  yield  entirely  to  his  con- 
trol, cling  to-  him  with  all  your  heart,  de- 
pending every  moment  upon  divine  assist- 
ance, as  you  rise,  step  by  step,  to  your 
home  and  your  treasure  on  Mount  Zion 
above. 

4.  Saving  faith  receives  Christ  as  a  de- 
liverer from  sin  as  well  as  from  suffering. 
The  great  end  contemplated  in  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ,  was  to  deliver  his  people 
from  their  sins,  and  restore  them  to  the 
moral  image  of  God,  which  was  lost  in  the 
fall.  Hence  the  angel  said  to  Joseph, 
"  Thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus,  for  he 
shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins." 
Matt.  1 :  21.     '^  Unto  him  that  loved  us, 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  125 

and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own 
blood,"  is  the  ascription  of  praise  to  the 
Lamb  from  the  redeemed  in  heaven.  This 
great  purifying  process  commences  with 
the  first  exercise  of  evangelical  faith,  or  at 
regeneration,  wrought  in  the  soul  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.  "  According  to  his  mercy  he 
saved  us,"  says  an  apostle,  "by  the  wash- 
ing of  regeneration,  and  renewing  of  the 
Holy  Ghost."     Tit.  3:  5. 

Are  you  burdened  with  sin  ?  •'  Behold 
the  Lamb  of  God.  which  taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world,"  and  your  sins  in  partic- 
ular, if  you  look  to  him  by  faith.  The 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  his  Son,  cleanseth  us 
from  all  sin."  1  John  1 :  7.  That  blood  is 
as  available  now,  and  as  efficacious  to  take 
away  sin,  as  when  it  poured  in  a  gushing 
tide  from  the  cross.  Beneath  that  tide  you 
must  place  your  guilty  soul;  through  the 
efficacy  of  that  blood,  received  by  faith, 
and  applied  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  you  are  to 
be  purified  from  all  iniquity.  The  guilt  of 
Paul  and  Peter  was  purged  by  it,  and  yours 
must  be  removed  in  the  same  way.  "  Look- 
11* 


126  A.WAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

ing  unto  Jesus,"  says  an  apostle,  "the  au- 
thor and  finisher  of  our  faith."  Heb.  12 :  2. 
Do  you  say,  'I  have  looked  once  and 
again,  and  find  no  relief?'  Did  you  look 
in  faith,  expecting  to  be  cleansed,  not  only 
from  actual  transgression  and  sins  of  omis- 
sion, but  from  the  original  corruption  of 
your  nature,  which  must  be  removed  by 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ?  Apply  to  the 
blood  of  Jesus,  and  continue  to  look  to  him 
till  the  progress  of  death  is  arrested,  and 
the  burden  of  sin  is  gone  ;  but  be  careful  to 
look  with  an  expecting  faith.  The  Israel- 
ites, who  were  bitten  by  the  fiery  serpents, 
were  required  to  look  to  the  brazen  serpent 
raised  upon  a  pole  in  the  midst  of  the 
camp ;  and  as  many  as  looked  were  healed. 
When  bitten  by  a  serpent,  they  did  not  fas- 
ten their  eyes  upon  their  wound,  till  the 
poison,  coursing  on  to  their  vitals,  had  dif- 
fused itself  through  their  whole  system. 
No  ;  when  sensible  of  their  condition,  they 
resorted  to  no  expedients  of  their  own  de- 
vising, but  were  anxious  mainly  to  get  at 
the  remedy;  they  looked  immediately,  and 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.         127 

in  earnest,  to  the  brazen  serpent,  expecting 
to  be  healed  both  from  the  testimony  of 
Jehovah,  and  from  the  fact  that  no  one 
had  perished  who  had  complied  with  his 
requisition,  and  they  continued  to  look  until 
their  restoration  was  complete.  Christ  cru- 
cified is  to  you  what  the  brazen  serpent  was 
to  the  Israelites;  for  "as  Moses  lifted  up 
the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so  must 
the  Son  of  man  be  lifted  up ;  that  whoso- 
ever believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but 
have  eternal  life."  John  3:  14,  15.  Sensi- 
ble, then,  of  your  perishing  condition  as  a 
sinner,  you  must  not  look  continually  at 
your  sins,  but  look  away  from  yourself, 
immediately  and  in  earnest,  to  the  atoning 
blood  of  Jesus,  expecting  a  moral  renova- 
tion, and  continue  to  look  in  earnest  expec- 
tation, till  your  sins  are  blotted  out,  and 
Christ  is  formed  in  you  the  hope  of  glory. 

5.  Justification  results  from  faith  in 
Christ,  and  is  essential  to  salvation. 

Justification  is  the  opposite  of  condem- 
nation ;  it  includes  pardon  and  implies 
righteousness.     We  are  both  pardoned  and 


128         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

justified,  or  treated  as  righteous,  through 
faith  in  Christ.  Pardon  affects  our  relation 
to  sin,  justification  our  relation  to  God  ; 
pardon  releases  from  penalty,  justification 
restores  to  favor  ]  we  are  pardoned  often, 
yet  justified  but  once ;  pardon  delivers 
from  condemnation  for  the  past,  justifica- 
tion secures  from  condemnation  for  the  fu- 
ture. "There  is,  therefore,  now  no  con- 
demnation to  them  which  are  in  Christ 
Jesus,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh,  but 
after  the  Spirit."  Rom.  8:  1.  "It  is  God 
that  justifieth — who  is  he  that  condemn- 
eth?"     Rom.  8:  33,  34. 

Before  you  can  enter  heaven,  you  must 
be  pardoned  and  justified,  for  "  there  shall 
in  no  wise  enter  into  it  any  thing  that  de- 
fileth,  neither  whatsoever  worketh  abomi- 
nation, or  maketh  a  lie."     Rev.  21:  27. 

You  cannot  be  justified  by  yoiur  own 
works,  for  "by  the  deeds  of  the  law  there 
shall  no  flesh  be  justified  in  his  sight."  Rom. 
3:  20.  "He  that  believeth  not  is  con- 
demned already."  John  3:  18.  Your  jus- 
tification and  acceptance  with  God  must 


AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED.  129 

come  through  the  righteousnes  of  Christ. 
But  what  is  the  righteousness  of  Christ  ? 
Of  this  it  is  important  that  you  should 
have  a  clear  and  distinct  idea.  The  right- 
eousness of  Christ  consists  in  his  perfect 
obedience  to  the  divine  law,  which  we  had 
broken,  and  his  sufferings  and  death  to 
atone  or  make  satisfaction  for  the  sins  with 
which  we  were  chargeable  in  violating  that 
law,  and  for  which  we  deserved  to  be  pun- 
ished in  the  world  of  despair  forever.  His 
pains  procured  our  pardon,  his  conflicts  our 
triumphs,  and  his  ignominious  death  our 
life  of  endless  pleasure  and  joy  before  the 
throne.  For  "  the  Lord  hath  laid  on  him 
the  iniquities  of 'us  all."  "He  bare  our 
sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree."  All,  then, 
that  Christ  did  and  sufiered  for  us,  while 
on  earth,  as  our  substitute  or  propitiatory 
sacrifice,  both  in  respect  to  obedience  and 
atonement,  may  be  regarded  as  our  right- 
eousness. Hence  he  is  called  in  Scripture, 
"  The  Lord  our  Righteousness."  Jer.  23  : 
6.  "Who  of  God,"  says  an  apostle,  "is 
made  unto  us  wisdom,  and  righteousness, 


130         AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED. 

and  sanctification,  and  redemption."  1  Cor. 
1:  30.  When  we,  in  the  exercise  of  re- 
pentance and  faith,  receive  Christ  as  our 
surety  or  righteousness,  God  the  Father 
freely  forgives  all  our  sins,  accepts  and 
treats  us  as  righteous  in  his  sight,  solely  on 
account  of  what  Christ  has  done  for  us, 
and  we,  being  justified  by  faith,  are  enti- 
tled to  all  the  privileges  and  blessings  of 
the  sons  of  God.  "  Being  justified  freely 
by  his  grace,  through  the  redemption  that 
is  in  Christ  Jesus,  whom  God  hath  set  forth 
to  be  a  propitiation  through  faith  in  his 
blood,  to  declare  his  righteousness  for  the 
remission  of  sins  that  are  past,  through 
the  forbearance  of  God ;  to  declare,  I  say, 
at  this  time,  his  righteousness ;  that  he 
might  be  just,  and  the  justifier  of  him 
which  believeth  in  Jesus."  Rom.  3:  24  — 
26.  "  For  he  hath  made  him  [Christ]  to 
be  sin  [or  a  sin-offering]  for  us,  who  knew 
no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the  right- 
eousness of  God  in  him."  2  Cor.  5:  21. 
So  long  as  we  abide  in  Christ,  we  have  his 
perfect  righteousness  to  shield  us  from  the 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  131 

penalty  of  the  law,  and  to  render  us  the 
objects  of  divine  approbation. 

"  When  Justice  calls  for  sinners'  blood. 
The   Saviour  shows  his  own." 

And  here  I  remark,  that  justification  by 
faith  is  attended  with  sensible  comfort. 
*' Being  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace 
with  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
The  believing  jailer  experienced  this  peace, 
and  the  eunuch  went  on  his  way  rejoicing. 
If  you  are  still  burdened  with  sin,  under  a 
sense  of  condemnation,  have  no  peace  in 
believing,  no  consolation  in  God,  you  are 
not  in  a  justified  state.  The  faith  which 
saves,  not  only  afl'ords  present  comfort,  but 
looks  forward  with  sure  expectation  to  the 
glories  of  God's  upper  kingdom  as  its  ulti- 
mate reward.  "  Whom  he  called,  them  he 
also  justified  ;  and  whom  he  justified,  them 
he  also  glorified."     Rom.  8 :  30. 

Where  now  is  the  mystery  of  faith? 
Look  and  be  saved  ;  believe  and  live.  It 
is  so  simple,  that  a  child  may  exercise  it, 
and  so  plain,  that  the  most  illiterate  need 
not  mistake. 


132        AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED. 

Reader,  the  object  of  faith  is  now  before 
you,  Jesus,  the  Mediator  of  the  new  cove- 
nant. He  is  near,  precious,  inviting,  infi- 
nitely glorious,  and  mighty  to  save.  Sal- 
vation, the  reward  of  faith,  is  within  your 
reach.  If  you  perish,  it  will  not  be  merely 
because  you  have  sinned,  but  because  in 
unbelief  you  reject  salvation.  The  present 
moment  is  yours ;  it  is  loaded  with  bless- 
ings to  be  secured  by  faith,  or  lost  by 
unbelief  A  single  act  may  decide  the 
question,  whether,  for  a  vast  eternity,  you 
sing  in  heaven  or  weep  in  despair. 


AWAKENED    SINNER   DIRECTED.         133 


CHAPTER    XI. 

PRAYER. 

And  he  spake  a  parable  unto  them  to  thia  end,  that  men  ought 
always  to  pray,  and  not  to  faint.     Luke  18 :  1. 

The  awakened  sinner  must  pray,  and,  if 
in  earnest  to  secure  salvation,  he  will  pray 
/Often  and  fervently  for  divine  forgiveness. 
You  cannot  restrain  him  from  praying  ; 
the  desires  of  his  burdened  soul  will  break 
forth  in  earnest  cries  for  deliverance.  "  O ! 
that  I  knew  where  I  might  find  him,  that 
I  might  come  even  to  his  seat,  for  the 
arrows  of  the  Almighty  are  within  me,  the 
poison  whereof  drinketh  up  my  spirit ; " 
"Have  mercy  upon  me,  O  God,  according 
to  thy  loving  kindness ; "  "  Lord,  save  me, 
or  I  perish,"  will  be  the  spontaneous  ex- 
pressions of  his  soul,  while,  with  a  bur- 
dened heart,  he  lifts  up  his  imploring  eye 
12 


134         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

unto  Him  who  has  said,  ''  I,  even  I,  am  the 
Lord,  and  besides  me  there  is  no  Saviour.'^ 
Isa.  43  :  11.  "  I,  even  I,  am  he  that  blot- 
teth  out  thy  transgressions  for  mine  own 
sake,  and  will  not  remember  thy  sins." 
Isa.  43  :  25. 

Reader,  have  you  prayed  ?  If  not,  en- 
ter your  closet  immediately,  and,  in  the 
deepest  prostration  of  soul,  confess  your 
sins  before  God.  Confess  them  heartily 
and  without  reserve,  in  deep  self-abase- 
ment ;  mourn  over  them  with  sincere,  god- 
ly sorrow.  A  contrite  spirit  God  will  not 
despise.  Are  you  too  proud  to  enter  your 
closet,  and  confess  your  sins?  You  are, 
then,  too  proud  to  be  forgiven.  A  lofty 
spirit  God  abhors  ;  '•'  the  proud  he  knoweth 
afar  off."  "  God  resisteth  the  proud,  but 
giveth  grace  unto  the  humble."  You  must 
sink  low  at  his  feet,  in  brokenness  of  heart, 
before  you  can  be  exalted  to  the  elevated 
station  of  being  a  sonand  an  heir  of  God, 
"  He  that  humbleth  himself,  shall  be  ex- 
alted." When  or  where  can  the  sinner 
expect  forgiveness,  if  not  in  humble  con- 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  135 

fession  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  ?  The  posture 
in  prayer,  the  feelings  to  be  cherished,  and 
our  attempts  to  express  them,  are  all  favor- 
able to  the  work  of  the  Spirit.  You  must 
pray,  or  your  present  religious  impressions 
will  not  be  deepened,  or  even  retained ; 
the  Spirit  will  be  grieved,  and  take  his 
departure,  it  may  be,  forever. 

I  would  advise  you  to  kneel,  in  your 
secret  devotions ;  not  that  God  regards  the 
exterior,  but  because  our  posture  in  prayer 
affects  ourselves ;  an  humble  posture  be- 
comes the  suppliant.  And  here  I  remark, 
that  there  is  no  king's  highway  to  the  cross 
or  to  heaven.  The  wealthy  and  honorable, 
the  judge  upon  the  bench,  and  the  sovereign 
upon  his  throne,  must  go  to  God  as  does 
the  most  illiterate  beggar,  in  humbleness  of 
spirit,  and,  as  guilty  suppliants,  confess 
their  sins  and  plead  for  mercy.  To  the 
poor  and  contrite  in  spirit,  who  tremble  at 
his  word,  God  looks  with  favor. 

But  do  you  say,  "  I  am  too  wicked  to 
pray  "  ?  It  is  quite  evident,  then,  that  you 
are  too  guilty  and  too  needy  to  live  with- 


136         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

out  praying.  But  where,  in  the  Bible,  has 
God  declared,  in  respect  to  you  or  any 
awakened  sinner,  that  you  are  too  wicked 
to  pray  ?  Christ  "  came,  not  to  call  the 
righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance."  The 
number  and  magnitude  of  your  sins  are 
most  powerful  reasons  why  you  should 
confess  them  to  God,  and  plead  for  pardon. 
Were  you  an  angel,  you  would  have  no 
need  of  praying :  were  you  a  devil,  it 
would  avail  nothing  if  you  should  pray. 
Bat  you  are  neither ;  you  are  a  great  sin- 
ner, in  a  world  of  mercy,  and  can  be  par- 
doned freely,  if,  in  contrition  and  faith, 
you  ask  it.  Says  our  Saviour,  "  Ask,  and 
it  shall  be  given  you."  Matt.  7:7.  "  But 
let  him  ask  in  faith,  nothing  wavering." 
James  1 :  6.  Can  you  expect  pardon  on 
easier  conditions  ?  The  publican  was  a 
great  sinner ;  but  he  prayed,  and  God  heard 
him,  for  he  was  pardoned  and  justified. 
The  thief  on  the  cross  was  a  great  sinner ; 
but  he  prayed,  and  Jesus  heard  him,  and 
the  same  day  received  him  to  heaven. 
Simon,  the  sorcerer,  w£is  a  great  sinner; 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  137 

yet  Peter  exhorted  him  to  repent,  and  to 
pray  to  God,  that  the  thought  of  his  heart 
might  be  forgiven.  I  have  never  known 
an  awakened  sinner  to  make  any  progress 
towards  the  right  way,  while  he  refused  to 
pray.  The  Holy  Spirit  works  most  effect- 
ually, in  subduing  the  heart,  when  the 
sinner  is  in  deep  prostration  before  God, 
pleading  for  mercy.  But  "  the  sacrifice 
of  the  wicked  is  an  abomination  to  the 
Lord."  Prov.  15  :  8.  Yes,  and  you  have 
oflfered  that  sacrifice  quite  too  long.  "  The 
sacrifices  of  God  [or  such  as  God  accepts] 
are  a  broken  spirit."  Ps.  51 :  17.  This  is 
the  offering  he  requires  at  your  hand,  and 
he  will  accept  no  other.  "  But,"  you  re- 
ply, "  I  have  not  that  brokenness  of  spirit." 
And  can  you  expect  it,  while  you  stupidly 
or  stubbornly  refuse  to  ask  it  ?  "If  any  of 
you  lack  wisdom,  [or  true  religion,]  let 
him  ask  of  God,  that  giveth  to  all  men 
liberally,  and  upbraideth  not,  and  it  shall 
be  given  him."  James  1:5.  "  Seek,  and 
ye  shall  find;  knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened 
12* 


138         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

unto   you."     Matt.  7  :  7.      Your  duty  is 
plain  ;  do  it,  then,  without  delay. 

But  how  shall  I  ask,  so  as  to  secure  the 
blessing  ?  Cease  to  disobey  God,  and 
grieve  his  Spirit  by  vain  excuses.  Read 
the  fifty-first  Psalm,  again  and  again  ;  pon- 
der well  the  noble  sentiments  expressed  in 
every  verse,  until,  by  drinking  in  the  spirit 
of  the  author,  you  make  them  your  own. 
Sink  as  low  in  self-abasement  as  David 
did,  confess  as  freely  and  fully  your  sins, 
and  cherish  the  same  spirit  of  contrition, 
and  you  will  soon  shine  out  in  the  lustre  of 
a  new  creation,  and  delight  in  the  law  of 
God  after  the  inner  man.  "And  ye  shall 
seek  me,  and  find  me,  when  ye  shall  search 
for  me  with  all  your  heart."  Jer.  29 :  13. 
A  first  right  feeling  must  be  exercised ;  and 
where  shall  it  be  exercised,  if  not  while 
pleading  for  mercy  at  the  Saviour's  feet  ? 
A  first  right  act  must  be  performed ;  but 
when  shall  it  be  performed,  if  not  while 
attempting,  like  the  man  with  the  withered 
hand,  to  obey  the  command  of  Jesus  ?  He 
willed  the  act,  and  Christ  gave  him  power 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  139 

to  perform  it ;  and  you  will  find  the  Saviour 
no  less  ready  to  assist  you  in  your  efforts 
to  obtain  salvation. 

A  youth  in  college,  who  had  opposed  a 
revival  of  religion,  then  in  progress,  began 
at  length  to  feel  the  gentle  strivings  of  the 
Spirit,  and  called  on  the  president,  to  ask 
what  he  should  do.  After  this  interview, 
he  returned  to  his  room,  turned  the  key  of 
his  door,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  knelt 
down  to  pray,  and,  while  offering  up  his 
petitions,  a  great  change  took  place  in 
his  feelings  —  he  loved  every  body,  and 
particularly  those  whom,  for  their  reli- 
gion's sake,  he  had  hated  the  most  bitterly. 
More  than  twenty  years,  spent  in  the  ser- 
vice of  Christ,  have  since  elapsed,  and  he 
still  looks  back  to  that  season  of  prayer,  as 
the  time  when  he  first  began  to  live  by 
faith  upon  the  Son  of  God. 

A  young  man  returned  home  from  a  re- 
ligious meeting,  somewhat  impressed  with 
the  importance  of  experimental  piety,  A 
friend,  aware  of  his  state  of  mind,  urged 
him  immediately  to  commence  a  religious 


140         AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

life ,-  but  for  this  he  was  not  quite  ready. 
She  continued  to  impress  upon  him  his  duty, 
and  he,  to  check  her  importunity,  aflfect- 
ed  a  burst  of  laughter,  and  observed,  "You 
see  how  much  I  care  about  religion."  His 
friend,  knowing  that  God  and  truth  were 
on  her  side,  and  perceiving  that  the  Spirit 
was  striving,  continued  to  urge  upon  him 
the  importance  of  personal  religion,  and 
invited  him  to  pray  with  her  before  he 
retired  to  rest.  It  was  a  favored  moment ; 
conscience  smote  him  ;  he  knew  that  he 
ought  to  be  a  Christian;  and,  yielding  to 
her  request,  he  knelt  down,  for  the  first 
time  in  his  life,  to  pray.  While  expressing 
his  feelings  in  broken  petitions,  confessing 
sin,  and  grieving  on  account  of  it,  his  will 
bowed,  his  pride  was  humbled,  and  he 
gave  himself  up  to  Christ.  That  prayer, 
and  that  struggle,  he  will  never  forget. 
Then  he  began  to  live  in  Christ  by  faith, 
and  discovered  the  first, rays  of  that  Sun  of 
righteousness,  which  has  since  been  ris- 
ing in  strength  and  brightness  to  meridian 
day. 


AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.  141 

These  facts  are  directly  to  the  point; 
they  show  the  importance  of  prayer  as  a 
means  of  grace  in  seeking  religion.  The 
father  met  the  prodigal,  embraced  him  with 
paternal  tenderness,  and  freely  forgave  him, 
when  that  dissolute  son  returned  home 
and  made  confession. 

If  Satan  suggests  that  you  are  too  wicked 
to  pray,  reject  the  suggestion  as  coming 
from  the  father  of  lies,  and,  in  obedience 
to  Christ,  enter  your  closet  and  pray. 
Carry  with  you  into  the  closet  a  feeling  of 
unlimited  dependence,  and  let  it  attend  you 
at  every  step  in  your  way  to  Christ.  In 
all  your  attempts  at  prayer,  rely  upon 
the  Holy  Spirit  for  assistance.  He  knows 
what  you  need,  and  can  remove  every 
obstacle  from  your  path  to  the  cross.  He 
alone  can  awaken  right  desires,  and  pro- 
duce in  you  the  principle  of  faith.  Are 
you  ignorant  ?  The  Spirit  will  teach  you. 
Do  you  find  it  difficult  to  express  yourself 
in  prayer  ?  The  Spirit  will  help  your  in- 
firmities. God  can  understand  your  broken 
petitions. 


142        AWAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED. 

"  Prayer  is  the  burden  of  a  sigh, 
The  falling  of  a  tear, 
The  upward  glancing  of  an  eye, 
When  none  but  God  is  near." 

Are  you  burdened  with  sin  ?  Ask  God, 
for  Jesus's  sake,  to  remove  it.  Are  you 
covered  with  guilt  ?  Beseech  him  to  wash 
you  in  the  blood  of  atonement.  Do  you 
need  faith  ?  Ask  it  of  God,  "who  giveth 
liberally,  and  upbraideth  not."  ''  What 
things  soever  ye  desire,  when  ye  pray,  be- 
lieve that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall 
have  them."  Mark  11:  24.  In  your  at- 
tempts to  pray,  never  lose  sight  of  Christ  ; 
he  is  your  strength  and  righteousness  and 
medium  of  access  to  God.  Ask  every  thing 
in  his  name,  plead  his  merits  alone,  accept 
him  as  your  surety,  bow  and  make  a  cheer- 
ful surrender  of  all,  keeping  nothing  back. 
Ifyoar  burden  be  heavy,  cast  it  upon  him; 
he  is  able  to  bear  it.  To  the  heavy  laden, 
who  came  to  him,  he  promised  rest,  and  he 
adds,  "  Him  that  cometh  unto  me  I  will 
in  no  wise  cast  out."  If  you  obtain  not 
the  blessing  at  your  first  request  ask  again, 


A.WAKENED    SINNER    DIRECTED.         143 

and  continue  to  ask  ;  the  Saviour  encour- 
ages importunity.  Plead  earnestly,  and 
plead  with  expectation  ;  give  him  no  rest. 
The  Syrophoenician  woman  did  so,  and 
obtained  the  blessing.  On  no  consideration 
relax  your  effort,  or  cease  to  plead  till  your 
salvation  is  secured,  "  for  in  due  season 
you  shall  reap,  if  you  faint  not."  "  They 
that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy." 
"  Whosoever  shall  call  upon  the  name  of 
the  Lord  shall  be  saved." 


Reader,  I  have  now  finished  my  remarks 
upon  those  topics,  to  which,  to  my  own 
mind,  it  seemed  most  important  to  direct 
your  attention  as  an  awakened  sinner. 
This  solemn  subject  I  must  now  leave 
with  you,  hoping  that  the  thoughts  already 
suggested  may  assist  you  in  entering  the 
way  of  life.  May  the  Spirit  of  God  guide 
you  into  all  truth,  and  enable  you,  day  by 
day,  to  receive  the  incorruptible  seed  of 
the  word,  which  liveth  and   abideth  for- 


144        AWAKENED    SliNNER   DIBECTED. 

ever.  *'  Fight  the  good  fight  of  faith ;  lay 
hold  on  eternal  life."  "Press  toward  the 
mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of 
God  in  Christ  Jesus."  So  shall  your  peace 
be  as  a  river,  and  your  path,  like  the  shin- 
ing light,  grow  brighter  and  brighter  unto 
the  perfect  day. 


UCSB  LIBRARY. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000  606  470     3 


